With Death Comes Love
by Striking Vixenn
Summary: He died in battle and with him, his fiancees heart. Lucas, Nathan's half-brother, comes to town and takes residence in her house. A web of challenges result from Nathan's passing. Can Brooke go through this alone or will she lean on Lucas?
1. Funeral Crasher

**Hello everyone! This is my new story and I hope you will all love it as much as I do. This is my story so please don't steal the idea and such. Leave a review and let me know what you think please! (:**

**With Death Comes Love**

**Chapter One: Funeral Crasher**

A shot was fired and she jumped. Another shot was fired a moment after the previous one. Again, she jumped. She took a tissue and dried the corners of her hazel eyes.

Her chest felt tight, hard to breathe. She clutched the flag over her chest.

Another crystal tear rolled down her cheek, but her gaze is still locked on the devastating scene in front of her.

_FLASHBACK_

_Snow covered the ground and created a winter land. Children were building snowmen and sledding down the hills in the park. If you were a young couple in love, this was the perfect scenery for a romantic stroll. _

"_Think fast!" _

_The feisty brunette called to her boyfriend. She had hit him right in the chest. He fell dramatically into the snow._

"_I'm wounded!" he said weakly. _

_Brooke chuckled. She joined him on the soft padding of the snow. Her hazel eyes met his electric blues. She loved to just look into his eyes and if he would let her, she'd do it all day._

_He kissed her forehead, "I can't believe that you would hit me!"_

_Nathan picked her up. _

"_Babe!" she screamed._

_Nathan spun her around. The air flew through Brooke's hair. He placed her down on the snow, resuming their old positions. She gently hit him on his arm. _

_He didn't budge, pulling her close to him, "You are so beautiful…"_

_Her cheeks turned red, nuzzling her head in the warmth of his chest, "I don't want this day to ever end."_

"_Me either," he said with a sigh._

_They had been together since high school, never spending more than a day apart. How were they supposed to make it through five months apart? _

_Nathan wiped away one of her tears with his thumb, "Baby, don't cry."_

_Her emotions got the best of her. Tears were now streaming down her face. It wasn't like he was just going on vacation, no, this was going to war. Nathan was going to serve his country and was assigned to fight in the war on terror._

_Once more, he eyes locked with his and she could see the sadness in them, "I just don't want you to leave me."_

_He sat up in the snow, she copied his movements, "Brooke, I am proud to serve our country. I love you more than I love anything. When I first saw you walking down the halls of—"_

"_Babe," Brooke interjected as she held his hand._

"_school, something changed inside me. I knew that you were the one for me and ever since that day, you've had my heart since that day. No one is ever going to take your place, ever. I don't want to leave you behind, but it's what I have to do. However," he pulled a box out of his pocket, "I don't want to leave a girlfriend behind. I love you, Brooke. Will you marry me?"_

_She covered her mouth in shock. The cold weather was no match for the warmth that she was now giving off. She let out a soft laugh. All she could do was shake her head. _

"_Yes!" she finally croaked out._

_She clung to him and rested her head in the crook of his neck. He kissed her forehead and held on to her tight._

"Brooke?"

She closed her eyes, trying to stay in that moment. She felt her body shake and her eyes opened. Her friend gave her a small smile.

"It's over, Brooke," Peyton said softly.

Brooke shook her head, "It's not over and it's never going to be over."

She pushed her off and walked slowly towards his casket. She let out an agonizing yell as she touched the casket. The pain was too real and she didn't want to be here if Nathan wasn't.

A man tugged at her to step back as it was being lowered into the ground. She threw him off and collapsed to the floor.

She ran her fingers through her curly brown hair quickly. The image of him telling her that he loved her, kept playing her head. The more that the casket got lower into the ground, the more she felt incomplete. She had never suffered a loss, but this was her whole world in the casket.

"Hey…"

Brooke kept her gaze fixed on the casket. She didn't need to hear anyone if she couldn't hear his voice just one more time.

A guy that she had never seen before sat next to her on the soft grass. She turned to glare at him but didn't have the strength. He had the same somber and confused face as she expressed. His eyes were red from crying but Brooke didn't know him.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "It's gonna be okay."

If she had a dollar for every time that she heard that, she would be a millionaire. Why did people keep trying to give her a false sense of hope? Nathan wasn't going to be ok because he wasn't alive. He was supposed to be her husband and they were going to have a son just like him. There was no chance that her life was going to be okay. Her life was dead in the flag covered casket.

He sighed, running his fingers through his blond hair, "I know that you don't want to believe that—"

"Can you just shut the hell up?" she hissed through the tears.

She was crying so hard that she her whole body was shaking and she felt weak. Whoever he was, he just needed to leave her alone. Isolation from the world was all she wanted, besides Nathan to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

"Come here," he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close.

He smelt like Calvin Klein. The same one that Nathan used to wear all of the time. Brooke buried her head in his neck. The familiar smell of Nathan was pulling her in. The one person that she could always lean on, was no longer there.

* * *

><p>She let out a groan as her neck was sore. The darkness of the night made it almost impossible to see anything. When she sat up, she realized that she had fallen asleep on the mystery blond.<p>

"How long was I asleep?" Brooke asked, embarrassed. She rubbed her shoulder.

He chuckled, "Just a few hours. I didn't want to wake you up. I can imagine that you haven't been sleeping, and I didn't want to leave you alone in case of a zombie attack."

_That was nice of him. I know that I have_ _seen him before, but where? _Brooke sat there in silence and just tried to remember who he was. It was awfully nice of a stranger to let her sleep on them for a couple hours.

"Who are you?" she asked as she stood on her feet. Brushing off the dirt and grass from her pants, she looked at Nathan's final resting place.

It was calling to her. Ignoring the fact that she was having a conversation, she walked over to the grave. The headstone was cold and sent a chill down her spine.

Walking over to her, "I'm his half brother, Lucas."

She stopped dead in her tracks. She felt like she had been slapped across the face with such force. Turning her head towards him fast enough to give her whiplash, "Why the hell are you here?"

"Look, Brooke—"

"Go fuck yourself!" she hissed.

Brooke didn't want to leave Nathan, but she wanted to get away from Lucas pronto.

_Flashback_

"_Hey, fiancée," Brooke said with a huge grin, "Who all are we inviting to the wedding?"_

_Nathan wrapped his arms around her chest, resting his head on her shoulder, "Anyone you would like, but you are the only one that I care about!"_

_Turning to face him, "Well, I have Deb and Dan, what about your half brother?"_

_He released his grip and walked into the kitchen. She watched as he pulled out a pot and boiled some water. He was trying to distract himself from the question. _

_Brooke sighed and walked over to him, "Nate?"_

_He stired the pasta and remained unaffected by the question. Brooke gently pulled his arm away from the pot. She moved his dark brown hair from his face and kissed his forehead. "Tell me…"_

"_I don't want him anywhere near you, or near my wedding," he said with a hint of warning in his voice._

_Nathan returned to the boiling water and added some pasta. Brooke giggled. The water wasn't ready yet, but he was trying to forget this conversation._

_She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Nathan, tell your fiancée what happened?"_

"_He's a bad seed."_

"_What exactly does that mean, Nathan?" she sassed as she was growing weary of this conversation._

_He turned to face her this time, "Brooke, he is a jackass. He caused so many problems for my father and his mother that I can't even count. He wrecked my grandfather's car and didn't care. He goes through women like you go through panties—"_

"_I like to be hygienic," Brooke said with a small laugh._

_The way Nathan had just looked at her; she knew it was no laughing matter. She sighed and motioned for him to continue with his story. _

"_When Dan got sick, Lucas didn't give a shit and he claimed that he was too busy with his new job to even come visit him..."_

"_You never told me this?" _

_He shook his head, "Why waste your breath on someone that doesn't care about his own family?"_

_Brooke took his hand in hers and squeezed, "I like the idea of your parents and my parents. I don't want anyone else there. Hell, it could be you and me for all I care!"_

"There you go again, staring off into space."

Brooke scoffed, "Just leave me alone."

He walked over to her and wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. She had been too caught up in her thoughts to realize that she was freezing. He didn't move and she was becoming more frustrated.

"What's your angle, Lucas?"

He threw up his hands in defense, "I have no angle. I wanted to be here to pay my respects for Nathan because he is my brother."

She let out a small laugh of disbelief, "Bullshit."

Brooke walked over to the parking lot, he grabbed her hand and forced her to stop, "I'm sure that Nathan told you all these stories about me, but no matter what, we are family. You have no reason to hate me because of something Nathan said."

"Considering that I have known Nathan forever and have known you for all of about five minutes, I am going to respect my fiancée's wishes," She said as she tossed him his jacket.

There was only one car in the parking lot, and it wasn't hers. She saw Lucas walk over to the beaten up red truck. He was supposed to be the richest member of the family, but he drove a crappy car?

"Come on," he called as he waved his hand.

Brooke would rather spend the night in the cemetery than go anywhere with him. She plopped on the cold, wet grass. Crossing her arms, she felt like a kindergartener that refused to share.

"Brooke, just let me take you home," he said softly.

In her heart, she felt like she was betraying Nathan and she felt disgusted with herself. Although, she knew that Nathan would never want her to sit here in the freezing cold all night. She walked over and hopped in the creaking car.

"Fine, but straight home."


	2. Use Somebody

**AN: Thanks for the reviews! I hope you like the second chapter! KEEP EM COMING!**

**Chapter Two: Use Somebody**

**With Death Comes Love**

Taking a sip of her coffee, she relaxed against the counter. The warm coffee felt good as it ran down her throat. She frowned as she had finished her cup.

Brooke placed the cup in the sink and looked out her window. It was a beautiful day outside but she didn't feel like soaking up the weather. No, she felt like staying inside and being by herself.

A tear rolled down her porcelain cheek as she remembered how Nathan had loved this weather. It was cold but the sun was out. He loved to take her on a walk through parks or stay in and have movie day. She turned her attention to her couch and sighed. Mentally picturing the to sitting there snuggled up in blankets, was breaking her apart.

"If only…"

She heard sirens and rushed to the windows. She always prayed that someone would come and tell her that Nathan was alive. Regardless of the fact that she saw him, and confirmed it was him, she couldn't bring herself to realize its permanence.

A cop was pulled up behind a red truck. Brooke gasped. That was Lucas' truck. She grabbed her coat and ran outside. The cold wind felt good against her warm body.

"What's going on here?"

The cop turned to her, "A neighbor of yours called us this morning. Seems this guy has been sitting outside your home all day and hasn't moved. The lady was concerned that he was some kind of pervert."

Brooke stifled a laugh; she didn't know why she found that funny, "Really?"

Lucas got out of the truck and wrapped an arm around Brooke, "The misses and I had a fight last night. She kicked me out so I spent the night in my truck."

Brooke scoffed and shoved him off hard, "Luc—"

"Well, since there is no issue, I am going back to work," he said as he walked towards his car. He paused before he sat in his car, "I don't want to get another call!"

"Yes sir!" Lucas said.

The cop drove off and Brooke just looked at Lucas. She was confused about him staying the night in his truck. Didn't he have a home or a family to return to? Lucas looked at her and giggled.

"What?" she hissed as she furrowed her brows.

Chuckling, "Barbie pajamas?"

Brooke blushed. She hadn't realized that she rushed out without reconsidering her outfit. She watched as his gaze was on her chest. She folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. "Get bent."

He threw his hands up in defense and followed her into her house, "Sorry, didn't know that you had some crazy kid obsession."

She turned around and he froze. He could see the sadness in her eyes and felt like the biggest asshole. Nathan and Brooke were nicknamed Barbie and Ken, for obvious reasons. Lucas didn't mean to be so insensitive to her feelings.

He walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her. Brooke let out a sob. It felt nice to be held when she was upset. Nathan would squeeze her so tight that she would forget about her problems. This was Lucas, not the love of her life.

Brooke gently pushed him off of her. she returned to the coffee pot and poured herself another cup of coffee. She took a swig and twitched. Coffee wasn't her favorite drink, she didn't like it at all, but Nathan had two cups every morning. Brooke was used to making it and figured she would drink it for him.

"I didn't mean to be insensitive, Brooke. It was a honest mistake, okay?" he said softly as he took a seat at the table.

"What were you doing outside my house, Lucas?" she said weary.

She wanted to be alone for awhile and she didn't need someone watching over her like that. Brooke walked over to him and sat down.

Lucas ran his finger through his hair and sighed, "I don't have anywhere else to go…"

Brooke giggled, "Come on, Lucas, we all know that you have the money in the family."

He was like a statue. Her sentence brought out no reaction or response. He just sat there and kept his eyes on hers. His lips were pursed as if trying to formulate a response. Brooke was sensing there was more to this half-brother than she knew.

"I lost my company and I don't have any money," Lucas muttered.

Brooke gasped, "How did that happen?"

He shot her a look, "Listen, you don't wanna talk about Nathan and I don't want to talk about my financial situation."

_Touché._

Brooke continued to slug down the rest of the coffee in silence, "So, where are you going to go?"

He smiled at her. After a moment of thinking, she realized he was hinting at him staying with her. _no. no way in hell. Nathan wouldn't like this. _

"No," she said sternly.

"Come on, Brookie, I need some place to stay until I can get on my feet. I can't afford a hotel and I would really appreciate it," he said as he got down on his hands and knees.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Get off of my floor! You are a grown man and you can figure out your own problems. Besides, Nathan would never want you to stay in this house."

He sighed, "It's not like Nathan has much of a say in this."

Brooke took a deep breath in and let it out quickly. She knew he had a point but this was the house that she lived in with Nathan. This was their house, regardless if he wasn't living anymore. Brooke wiped a tear from her eye. She didn't mean to be emotional, but she didn't want to disrespect Nathan.

"Hey, it's only temporary," he whispered in a comforting voice.

She looked into his baby blues. Deep down inside she knew that she would feel really bad if she left him to live in his truck. So many things were running through her mind and she couldn't focus on one thought long enough to consider it.

"Fine," she muttered. "There are conditions if you want to stay here. One, you will get a job. Two, you will take out the trash and the recycling. Three, this is not permanent and you should be out of here as soon as you are financially stable."

Lucas nodded his head as he took mental notes, "I feel like I am a teenager."

Brooke let out a small laugh. She rested her head in her hand and looked at the couch. All Brooke wanted to do was lounge on the couch with Nathan and not be bothered by his half-brother.

He caught her gaze, "Is your soap opera on or something?"

She shook her head. The image of Nathan sitting on the couch watching ESPN kept flashing in her head. She loved to hear him yell at the players like they could hear him through the tv. It was the little things like that, that ate her up inside.

"Brooke?"

"I think the trash needs to be taken out," she said unmoved.

Lucas got up and grabbed the trash bag. He looked at her and felt lost. She was so helpless and there was nothing he could do. If he could, he would bring Nathan back, but that's not possible. He wanted to try to help her move past this and smile again.

He took the trash to the trashcan. There was hardly anything in the bag but Brooke asked him too. When he walked back in the house, Brooke was sitting on the couch watching ESPN. He raised a brow and sat next on the recliner. The cool leather felt nice against the heat of his back.

"You can't sit there!" she screamed.

Brooke lifted Lucas out of the seat and ushered him on the edge of the couch where she was sitting. She resumed in her spot. Lucas kept still. _What the hell is wrong with this woman?_

"That's his chair," she whispered as she pulled the blanket over her.

He nodded, "I figured."

A silence fell over them, Brooke sighed, "I'm sorry, Lucas. I just….that's…I just want Nathan to sit in that damn chair and laugh like he used to!"

Brooke covered her face before the first tear escaped her hazel eyes. He scooted over and wrapped an arm around her. she tried to fight him, like always, but she settled down. Lucas rubbed small slow circles on her back.

"We all wish Nate was back," he whispered.

She felt the heat of his breath on her neck, shivering, "I just feel so alone."

Shaking his head, "I'm here now, Brooke. I'm going to help you get through this difficult time in your life. I promise."

Brooke didn't argue or respond to it at all. She was tired of crying and walking around like a zombie. Tired of praying someone will say Nathan is alive and it was all a mistake. She didn't want Lucas, but he was all she had.


	3. Sorry Momma prt 1

**AN: I apologize for the delay. Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy! (:**

Brooke walked into her kitchen and gasped. Lucas was sitting at the counter and looking at job ads. She smiled and moved around him towards the coffee pot. She let out a soft giggle.

"What's so funny Davis?"

Joining him at the table, she pointed at the paper, "You circled dog walker."

He shrugged, "I could be a very good dog walker, thanks."

"You need a real job, Lucas," she reminded.

Lucas took a sip of his coffee and kept his eyes on the paper. He had only been here a day, but he was ready to snap. Brooke was never satisfied with anything that he had done. He felt bad for her, but she needed to lighten up.

"Brooke, I am trying to find a job, but it isn't easy," he mumbled.

She sighed, "You had your own company for goodness sake! You can't possibly tell me that you can't work there or somewhere else like that?"

He fell quiet and snatched the paper off of the table. Lucas trudged off to his room and slammed the door.

Brooke jumped at the loud bang. She was curious as to why he was supposed to be this big shot but he couldn't work at his own company?

With a sigh she walked over to the spare room and knocked on the door. There was a long pause before he opened the door. His eyes were red and froze in the doorway.

Brooke felt something in the pit of her stomach. Looking at him validated her belief that she would wait to figure out the mystery that is Lucas' past job until he was ready to fill her in. something wasn't adding up, but she didn't want to make him more upset than he clearly was.

"I was wrong."

Lucas raised a brow, still keeping his eyes on the floor, "About what?"

"You being a dog walker," Brooke said with a smile.

He looked at her and caught her contagious smile, "I thought you would come around eventually. I am like the dog whisperer."

She playfully shoved him, "Oh, come on!"

He handed her the newspaper and grinned. He knew where he was going to work. He had known all along that he would eventually have to make his return to Tree Hill, although this time wasn't going to be as glorious of a return.

Lucas grabbed the keys to his car and motioned Brooke to follow him. Oddly enough to Lucas, Brooke didn't ask any questions and followed him into his ratty red truck. He started the engine and it roared.

After a few moments of silence Brooke decided to say something, "Trying to figure out what to do with my body after you kill my ass?"

Lucas remained unmoved and shook his head, "I know where I need to go. I just don't think that I can physically bring myself to get there."

She let out a long sigh, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You need to start being more open with me. There are a lot of things about you that I don't know, Lucas. I can count on one hand the number of things that I know about you."

He knew that she was right, but how do you explain all that has happened to him without sounding like a charity case or a complete asshole. He sunk down in his seat. It wasn't going to be easy for him to open up to people and he hardly ever let anyone in.

"My mom owns her own café…"

"Lucas—"

"My uncle, Dan's brother, owns a garage that he works at. I figure if I swallow my pride and see my mom maybe she can help me out until I figure out what I can do with my life. I don't want to crowd your space anymore than I have too," he said softly.

Brooke gave him a small smile, "she is your mother, Lucas. I am sure that she would take you back in a heartbeat."

"You don't understand."

He cranked up the radio, signaling that was the end of all further discussion on the matter. Brooke looked at him as if she was studying him. There was something about him that was so mysterious that it intrigued her.

* * *

><p>When they pulled up to the café, Brooke smiled. She had always loved to get muffins from here when she was a little girl. Never once did she know that Lucas' mom owned the joint. Maybe if she had known she would have made friends with him on the playground.<p>

"Ready for this?" Brooke asked. She was trying to get him excited for whatever was bound to happen through the two brown doors.

He shook his head, "I'll probably give her a heart attack."

Without thinking, she grabbed his hand, "Lucas, I am going to help you through this just like you are helping me, okay?"

He gave her a smile and led the way into the café. There were a few people inside due to the awkward hour of their occurrence. She turned to face the pair and froze. Lucas squeezed Brooke's hand tightly.

From the look on her face, Brooke knew this was going to be one of those emotional reunions. There was so much tension and she would give anything to click her heels together and go to Kansas with Toto.

"Hey, Mom," Lucas staggered out.

She remained in her position and didn't show any emotion. A man ran up behind her and placed an arm around her shoulder. Lucas squeezed her hand once more.

"What the hell are you doing here, Luke?"

"I….I…"

"I think that I am going to let you guys talk this one out," Brooke said as she turned to flee. Lucas yanked her back to his side. Mumbling, "or not."

"Lucas?" his mother said softly. Tears were slowly rolling down her cheeks. Brooke turned to face Lucas. He was about to cry as well but had no tears.

"Why don't we go in the back and talk?" Keith said as he gently led Karen into the back office. Brooke took a seat next to Lucas.

He kept eyes on his hands, "How are you, Mom?"

"That's all you have to say?" she hissed. The tears were still flowing but she was getting angry. Her chest was turning red.

"I….I….Mom…"

"Why the hell are you in my café now? After all this time, with no word from you, I had no clue what was going on in your life! I am your mother, Lucas, not some piece of shit on the street!"

Lucas flinched. His mother never cursed and the fact that she just did, and loudly, meant he was in deep. He needed to just let her vent it out to him. He did deserve it.

"You pack up your bags and leave to make something of yourself without letting your own mother know? I needed you here with me to keep my business going. Regardless of what I think about Dan, you didn't even show up when Dan had that horrible condtion. The lack of respect for your parents is disheartening."

Karen stood up and walked over to him. She stared at him dead in his eyes. He tensed up, preparing for a good hardy smack. Brooke closed her eyes. She didn't want to be here and see this. Nathan was good at diffusing a situation like this.

"You put me through hell when you were in school and I never got a damn bit of thanks from you…" she whispered. She knelt to the ground and had tears in her eyes.

"Mom," Lucas went to put a hand on her shoulder and she swatted it off.

They sat there in silence for a minute. Emotions were on high and patience was running on empty. Lucas just sat there and watched his mom cry in hysterics.

"Just…" she stood up and wiped her eyes, "just tell me why you are here."

"I wanted to see if I could work with you or in the garage for a little bit. I know I have a lot to—"

"Go to the garage at ten o'clock and get the hell out of my café," she said firmly.

"What?"

"Get out of my shop, Lucas," she repeated. After a moment of silence, she reached her breaking point, "Son, please!"

Brooke grabbed his hand and led him out to his truck. Lucas was made of stone because he hadn't shown a shred of real emotion. She wondered why he hadn't cried and his eyes only watered. Whatever was going on with him, Nathan was right about it all. Brooke tried to think of something to say, but fell short of something, anything, to say.

**AN: Next chapter up soon! Thanks for the patience! REVIEW! (:**


	4. Sorry Momma prt 2

**AN: I have been writting the chapters faster than I thought, so here is the next chapter! ENJOY! (:**

The wind was howling and Brooke couldn't seem to get comfortable. The scene that had unfolded at the café was replaying in her head over and over. She couldn't help but be curious as to what happened. Nathan told her a few things, none of which were detailed enough to describe the anguish that Lucas' mother felt.

Brooke sighed. She glanced at the clock. It was three in the morning and there was no way that she was going to be able to sleep.

A flash of lightning made her jump out of her bed. If there was anything that she didn't like, it was thunder and lightning. Her father used to tell her horror stories of people getting electrocuted. Nathan would always hold her on nights like this.

She wiped a tear from her eye and stood up. She missed him. Flipping the light in the living room on, her eyes burned from the brightness. She was going to watch tv until she fell asleep.

The door opened and Lucas appeared. She jumped. She wasn't used to someone else being here with her unless it was Nathan.

"Can't sleep?" he asked as he yawned.

Brooke shook her head, "Nope. Go back to bed, Lucas. Sorry."

Another bolt of lightning and boom of thunder made her jump. She squeezed her eyes closed tight.

He walked over to her and placed his hand infront of her, "Come on, fraidy cat!"

Brooke scoffed, smiling, "I am not afraid. I just do not like the thunder and the lightning."

"Come lay with me and get some sleep."

She stared at his hand in front of her for a moment, sighed, and took his hand. She followed him into his temporary bedroom. It smelt similar to Nathan, but it made her instantly more calm.

"How do you like your pillow?"

Brooke burst out in laughter. She had no clue why it was so funny, but it was. She shrugged. The cold sheets felt good on her skin as she slid under the covers. The bed was actually comfy.

Lucas slid in next to her and turned off the light by his side of the bed, "Sweet dreams, Brookie."

"Same to you, Lukie Pookie," she mocked.

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her. she snuggled her head in his chest. The warmth of his body felt good. She rubbed her head on his chest until she got comfy.

Brooke looked up at him and kissed him on the cheek. It didn't dawn on her what she had just done. She just did it. There wasn't a motive, but something told her to do it. Maybe Lucas wasn't the asshole that Nathan had always claimed.

One thing was for sure, tonight she would finally get some rest.

* * *

><p>She rolled over and felt the side of Lucas' bed. With the realization that he was not next to her, she jumped out of bed. Racing to the kitchen looking for him, he wasn't there.<p>

It was two o'clock in the afternoon and this shocked her. that was the most sleep she had gotten since Nathan passed. Brooke was going to call him and make sure he went to his new job.

The line rang and went straight to voicemail.

"Damn," Brooke muttered.

It was no secret that she was worried about him. Things weren't making sense and she didn't want Lucas to do anything stupid. It saddened her that Lucas and his parents interacted that way. Sure. She and her parents didn't have a good relationship, but they didn't hate each other. Life can change in an instant and she hoped he understood that.

Brooke walked over to the fridge and sighed. She couldn't remember the last time she went to go get food. How was Lucas surviving with nothing to eat? She giggled.

She pulled out her phone and sent Lucas a text.

_Went to the store to pick up food. Be back soon. BD._

* * *

><p>Lucas walked into the kitchen and an overwhelming smell came from the kitchen. Was the house on fire?<p>

"Brooke!" he called out in fear.

She was sitting on the floor, crying her eyes out over some plate of food. There was smoke still coming from the oven. He grabbed a towel and tried to get the smoke to clear-up.

"Brooke," kneeling beside her, "Are you okay? Did you get burned?"

Shaking her head, "No, I was trying to…I was trying to make dinner and I burned some of it!"

"there's no reason to cry," he said as he helped her to her feet.

"I was trying to do something nice and make dinner for us. You started a new job and I actually got some sleep. I thought that called for some sort of celebration," she said as she wiped the final tear from her eye.

He was touched that she went through all the trouble for him, "Brooke, I will eat it."

"No!" she walked the plate over to the trashcan.

Lucas grabbed the plate and sat down at the table, "Is this turkey?"

"Pork chop," Brooke said with a laugh.

She sat down next to him and watched him try to cut the meat with a straight face. Lucas took a bite a chewed on it for a while, he knew Brooke was watching him and didn't want to upset her.

"It's good."

Brooke knew he was lying, smiling, "Don't eat it, Lucas. I know its gross. Let's get pizza?"

He spit it out in his napkin, "Oh thank you! Large pizza with tons of meat!"

They burst out laughing. They were both thinking the same perverted thought, but it seemed to bring them closer.

"Thanks," Lucas said as he smiled at her.

He was extremely grateful that she was letting him stay in her house and helping him get back on his feet. She wasn't the same girl that she used to be in high school. If Nathan was still here, he would be the luckiest guy alive to have her. he used to picture her with him, but that was years ago. She didn't want to get caught up in a guy like him.

Brooke raced to pick up the phone before it went to voicemail. It was a number that she did not recognize. "Hello?"

_"Is this Brooke?"_

"Yes, who is this?"

_"This is Karen, Lucas' mother. I was wondering if I could talk to him?"_

She froze and waved Lucas to come over. He looked at her unsure of who would call her house phone to talk to him. She handed him the phone and mouthed it was his mother.

His eyes widened, "Hello?"

_"Hello, Lucas, I was wondering if you would come over to the house so that we could have dinner and talk?"_

He remained silent and pictured thousands of scenarios in his head, "Can Brooke come?"

_"Sure. Six o' clock. Be there."_

"Love—"

He put the phone on the hook and sighed, "My mother wants us to come over for dinner tomorrow night."

Brooke raised a brow, "What for?"

"She wants to talk to me. When I went to the garage today, Keith didn't say a word to me. I just fixed up old cars like I used too…"

"I'm sure she just wants to squash whatever the issue is," Brooke said optimistically.

Lucas shrugged, "I hope so."

**AN: REVIEW! If I get at least three reviews, I will post the next chapter tonight or if not, I will post it later on in the week!**

**COMING UP: Brooke and Karen have a heart-to-heart. will Lucas finally sort it out with his family?**


	5. Sorry Momma prt 3

Today was the first day in weeks where the sun was shining so bright. Brooke took in the view from her kitchen window. Nathan and she would take picnics out by a lake on days like this. She missed him.

Taking a sip of her orange juice, she sat down at the table. Brooke looked at the bills in front of her and groaned. She had money that Nathan left for her, but she didn't want to spend it all on paying the bills.

Lucas had a job to help out with the rent, but she knew it wasn't long before she needed to get a job. Brooke didn't go to school and planned on staying home and taking care of everything. There was nothing that she was good at.

Brooke grabbed the newspaper and looked at the classified ads. An overwhelming feeling of failure washed over her. The jobs all required a formal education, at least the ones that didn't mean flipping burgers.

She knocked everything off the table in a fit of anger. She was angry. She needed Nathan to be here and tell her what to do, how to fix everything that was going on.

Walking over to the living room, she grabbed her old sketch book and a piece of black chalk. She began to sketch an outfit that she would wear if she was at the beach with Nathan.

"Why?" she muttered.

A tear rolled down her face. Why did Nathan have to be one of the many fallen soldiers? Why couldn't he just be around a little longer? She couldn't take this any longer.

Lucas entered the house and she remained unmoved. Her eyes stayed transfixed on the sketch that she was working on.

"What's all this paper doing on the floor?" he asked as he picked it up in a pile.

When she didn't answer him, he walked over to her and watched her. She was taking her frustration out and putting on paper. He knew her form of therapy was the same as his. Lucas loved to write, but it was a just a hobby.

"Brooke, that's awesome! I didn't know that you could sketch!" Lucas said as he picked up her drawing.

She wiped a tear that was slowly falling down her cheek, "Thanks."

He turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Sniffling, "I just miss him. He loved to be outdoors when the sun was out. I just need him."

"Brooke, he wouldn't want you to be sad. Let's do something in honor of Nathan!" Lucas suggested as he stood up.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "You didn't even really know him!"

Lucas flinched, she was right. When they were all in high school, he and Nathan were close but they split after graduation. Their relationship was no different than he and anyone else. Lucas cut ties with everyone when he left for up north.

"I know, Brooke. He is still my blood and you need someone to vent to…"

"I don't need anyone but Nathan! All I want is to talk to him for three seconds. I just want to tell him I love him!" she yelled. The tears were coming faster. She felt like she was doing this every single day and she was. "I just want to feel whole again."

He wrapped his arms around her. She was resisting his affection, but he was too strong to push him off of her. He felt his t-shirt dampen with every heave of her body.

"Things will get better, but they don't happen overnight," he reminded her softly.

She nodded. She knew that this was going to take time, but how much longer did she have to keep doing this? This was a routine thing: wake up, cry about Nathan, yell at Lucas, and go to bed.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"We have to go to dinner in an hour with your parents and I'm having a melt down!" she said with a little laugh.

"You're right. Now, it's my turn to have a meltdown," he said with a chuckle.

Brooke raised a brow, "I don't understand anything that is going on."

"No one does."

* * *

><p>Dinner was taking forever or so it seemed. They had been there for an hour and no one was really talking. It was so quiet you could hear a pen drop.<p>

Brooke exchanged awkward glances with Karen, trying to break up the awkwardness, "This is really good pasta, Karen."

"Thanks," she said as she swirled more pasta in her mouth.

"So, mom, what do you want to talk about?" Lucas asked. He was tired of waiting for this whole topic to be brought up. He just wanted to get this over with.

"I just don't want to know that my son is back in town and we can't be like how…how we were," she said as she started to get teary eyed.

"Plus you are working for me in the garage and you have a few things to explain to us," Keith chimed in.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Lucas asked as he tensed up.

"Why would you do this to your family? What about Haley?" she asked. There was no hiding her emotions. She was a few tears short of hysterics. "We were so close, Lucas."

"I needed to get out of Tree Hill and make something of myself. I needed to make it big somewhere out there in the world."

"Why couldn't you do that here?"

"I don't want to have a café or a garage, no offense. I needed to get away from Dan and his games. If I stayed here, I never would have accomplished anything."

"I understand that, Lucas, but why leave the way you did?"

"Because I was eighteen and thought that I knew everything about the world," he yelled. "I'm sorry that I was trying to make something of myself. I'm sorry I left without telling you. I'm sorry I fell off the grid and left everyone to wonder how I was!"

Karen wiped her eyes with her napkin, "I didn't know what happened to my son for three years. You couldn't keep in contact with me at least?"

"I tried to call you but we always would fight—"

"Forgive me for caring about you!" she screamed as she stood up and walked into the living room.

"No, we are not going to fight and runaway!" Lucas said as he walked after her.

"Oh, like you did?" she hissed.

"Mom, I'm fucking sorry! You can hate the decision that I made and I know that you do. Honestly, I'm glad that I did it because I made my own company!"

She nodded, "I know what you did! I read the paper and found out. When people came to my café and congratulated me, how do you think it was when I didn't know? Your own mother didn't know that you were successful. All a mother wants is to know you are successful in life!"

"I told you that I was fine and not to worry. I'm sorry for the manner that I left, but I can't turn back the fucking clock!" he shouted. He was frustrated. He knew he messed up but couldn't they get past it.

He walked over to her and sat with her on the couch. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

Kissing her on the forehead, "I still need you, mom. I love you and I want to get past this."

"If you have a job, why are you here?"

"I don't want to talk about the company," he said with a sigh. All that anyone wanted to talk about was his company. He didn't want to keep dwelling on his failed business venture. No one needed to know the details about it either.

"Fine, but I think that you need to talk to Haley," she said as she wiped the final tear.

Lucas nodded, "That's the one person I am dreading."

"She plays at the café on Thursday nights," she informed.

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't know how to approach his childhood best friend about his absence. No one really knew the whole story about his business. He was going to have to face her sooner or later. He preferred later, but his mother would force him to do it sooner.

Brooke entered the hallway and played with her hands, "Can I come in?"

Karen nodded, "Lucas, why don't you and Keith go make coffee. I want to have a little talk with Brooke."

He hesitated for a moment before getting up, "Okay."

Brooke sat down cautiously next to Karen. She knew all about Karen, but never actually talked to her before. Dan and Deb didn't exactly have nice things to say about Karen.

"How are you doing?" she asked quietly.

Brooke shrugged, "It's really hard. I feel like I constantly sit there and cry because he is not here."

Karen nodded, "I know how you feel. My dad died before Lucas was born and that was the hardest thing, not having him meet Lucas. I know that a dad isn't the same as your life partner, but it doesn't mean I don't feel the same."

"I just…I just see all these things that I want to tell him or show him," she said as she began to cry.

"I still have those days, but you keep busy and it won't be so hard on you."

Brooke nodded in agreement, "Even though Nathan didn't like Lucas, I'm glad that he is in the house with me. I feel like I have someone to vent to when I go crazy."

"Sometimes I feel like I am going to hurt myself…" Brooke whispered.

Karen gasped, "Oh, honey, don't say that."

"It's true. I think if Lucas wasn't there I would want to be with Nathan…"

"You will have your time with Nathan, but he wouldn't want you to give up on your life. You have so much to offer the world."

"Not if Nathan is not in it," Brooke said as her voice cracked.

"You have to start living your life almost as if you were living for Nathan. Make the most out of your life because you deserve it," Karen said firmly. "I know that you don't have a good relationship with your parents, but you owe it to them, and yourself, to make the most of it."

"I never had anyone to talk to or be there for me. Nathan was the first person I let in and he's gone now…"

Karen gave her a loving embrace, "I am here for you, Brooke."

Brooke smiled even though she was in tears, "Thanks, Karen."

Even though this was the first time that she had actually talked to Karen, she knew that she was genuine. She was very nurturing and that was something that Brooke was lacking in her life. Maybe, in a weird way, Lucas was here to help her through this rough time.

**AN: thanks for the reviews! More reviews = quicker update!**

**COMING UP: Brooke makes a desperate call to Karen. Lucas meets with his childhood friend.**


	6. Oh, Hey prt1

"What are you doing?" Brooke asked a very distraught looking Lucas. He was looking at his old Tree Hill High yearbook. She sighed as she saw the page he was on. "You really miss her, huh?"

He nodded his head. how could he not miss the girl that he practically grew up with? They were a package deal and never were seen without the other.

Haley was the only girl that he ever felt comfortable around and he loved besides his mother. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "I don't know how to get back there…"

"Where?"

"To that place where we were best friends…" he said softly.

Brooke rested a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'll never know what happened when you left for the city, but I think that you should talk to her."

"I can't."

"We will go to the café tonight and watch her perform, okay?" Brooke said as she stood up and headed towards the kitchen.

She placed a hand on her stomach. Her stomach had been bothering her the past few days. She covered her mouth and leaned over the sink. _Shit._

Her breakfast was being removed from her body and draining down the sink. Lucas ran over and held her hair out of the way. He rubbed small circles on her back.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he grabbed her a wash cloth.

Brooke nodded and wiped her mouth, "Yeah, just a little stomach bug."

Lucas grabbed her hand and walked her over to the couch, "You need to rest. I will go get some medicine from the store and come right back."

Brooke shook her head, "I don't need medicine, Lucas."

Lucas ignored her and grabbed his coat. Brooke watched him head out the door. She sighed. She didn't need any medicine. She felt better after she threw up.

* * *

><p>"I got seventeen different kinds of medicine," Lucas said as he walked in carrying a brown paper bag.<p>

Brooke giggled, she couldn't see him, "There better be brownies in there."

Lucas raised a brow as he sat the bag on the table, "brownies?"

"Yeah, they just sound good."

Lucas handed her a bottle of cherry flavored medicine. Brooke opened the cap and took a swig.

"It's not a shot, Brooke," Lucas scolded.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Sorry, I must have forgotten to stick my pinky out."

"I have been thinking a lot about it and I want to go see Haley tonight," he said as he handed her a water bottle.

"Well, we have to leave now," she said as she glanced at the clock.

"You are staying home," Lucas said.

He walked into his room and grabbed a white polo. There was no way that he was going to wear his work shirt to the café. He missed those days where he was dressed with all the labels and was successful. He wished that he could show her that he was a better guy, but he is just the same as he was back then.

"Does this look okay?"

Brooke giggled, "Someone is really nervous!"

He deadpanned, "Brooke—"

"Yes, tight-ass, it looks good!"

Brooke grabbed her purse and followed him to the door. There was no way that she was going to miss all of this unfold. Sure, she thought Haley was a parasite, but she needed to support Lucas.

"I thought I told you to stay home?"

"What are you, my dad?" Brooke sassed. "I am going because I want to support you…are you wearing a cup?"

Lucas rolled his eyes, "No, Haley is not the physical type when she is angry."

"Okay," Brooke scoffed.

They made their way to Lucas' truck. Lucas was nervous and he kept imagining scenarios over in his head. he knew this was not going to be the reunion that he had always hoped for. Lucas was tired of living without Haley and he needed his friend back.

"Did you ever have sex with Haley?" Brooke asked.

Lucas turned his head so fast, speechless, "What?"

"Did…you…ever—"

"I know what you said, Brooke!" Lucas cut her off. "Why are you asking me that question?"

"I don't know. I always thought that you two were shaking up in school. She does your homework and you make her—"

"I swear on everything, if you do not stop talking…"

"Fine!" Brooke said throwing up her hands in defense.

Lucas was appaled that she had asked him that. There was no way that he could ever sleep with his best friend. Haley was like his sister and that would be gross.

They pulled into the parking lot. Brooke sighed and squeezed Lucas' hand, "It's going to be okay."

He nodded and got out of the truck. He glanced in his side view mirror and fixed his hair. Lucas was about to see her for the first time in years. He was a ball of nerves.

"Does your mom have brownies?"

Lucas turned to her and sighed, "What is with you and brownies?"

"I just want a damn brownie!"

Brooke had no idea why she was so desperate to stuff her face with brownies. She was just really wanting one. Maybe she was about to have her period or something.

They just walked in and Karen rushed over to them. She gave them both hugs and directed them towards an empty table.

"I have been saving this one for you two," she whispered.

A man with a guitar was playing right now. Brooke was transfixed. The music was so beautiful, but not so much the guy. Karen sat down next to Brooke.

"Mom, do you have anymore brownies? Brooke has been on a mission to get one," Lucas asked.

Karen smiled, "I'll be right back."

"This is nice," Brooke said with a smile. Open Mic Night was never her scene, but she actually loved just relaxing. This was something that didn't make her think of Nathan.

It was hard to believe that Nathan was only away for a month, and almost dead a month. Brooke began to think about Nathan. She thought about how he would love this and it would be such a cute date night.

"Aw…hey…" Lucas said as he wrapped his arm around her.

She rested her head on his shoulder and watched as the guy played Jack Johnson on his guitar. She tried to focus on him and not the chaos that was swirling around in her head.

Karen returned with a full plate of brownies. Brooke quickly removed herself from Lucas. She felt awkward.

"Thanks, Karen," Brooke said as she grabbed a brownie. The brownie was so good and fudgy. She had no clue why she had wanted one in the first place, but she was glad to have one.

"There she is…" Lucas trailed off as he saw Haley take the stage.

Haley James looked beautiful. She was definitely not the shy, ugly duckling anymore. She was a beautiful women. She was wearing a soft orange dress and wedges. He had never seen Haley in a dress before. Her hair was caramel and it was so long now.

The one thing that hadn't changed about Haley James, was that beautiful voice of hers. Lucas immediately felt comforted by hearing her voice. He had always loved driving around to the basketball games and having Haley sing along to the radio. He was taken back to old times.

"She's the last act of the day," Karen informed.

Brooke whispered in Lucas ear, "Go put some money in her jar."

Lucas nodded. That's how he would walk back into her life. It felt like she had been singing forever and he was ready to get this over with.

"Thank you!" Haley said as she finished playing.

"Good luck," Brooke said as she kissed him on the cheek.

They both looked at each other for a moment; did she just kiss him in public? Lucas walked over to Haley. One problem at a time, he told himself.

He pulled out a twenty and placed it in her jar.

"Thank you, sir!" she said from behind him.

Lucas took a deep breath and turned around, "Hey, Hales."


	7. Oh, Hey prt 2

**AN: Thanks for the reviews! If you like what you are reading, then review and if I get a good amount I will post the new chapter asap! Hope you like this chapter! :)**

He pulled out a twenty and placed it in her jar.

"Thank you, sir!" she said from behind him.

Lucas took a deep breath and turned around, "Hey, Hales."

She froze and covered her mouth. She kept opening her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Tear started to fall down her cheeks, "Lucas…"

"Hey, Hales," he repeated.

She shook her head and walked over to him. She swung her hand back and smacked him in the face.

"Shit!" Lucas said as he rubbed his cheek.

Haley walked off. He was not going to let it end like this. He chased after her. He knew where she was going.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled.

Haley turned around on her heels, "The hell you are!"

"I am so sorry, Haley. Please, just let me talk to you and fix this," Lucas begged as he walked over to her.

She shook her head, "You are the last person that I want to talk to."

"I can explain everything to you."

"I don't need you to," she said as she opened her car door, "I read pretty much every article that you were in. I'm pretty sure that I am all caught up."

He felt like he had been shot in the stomach, there was no getting through to her. "I left because I had to get out of this town and there was no turning back."

"You couldn't tell someone that you were going away?"

"I knew that you and my mom would convince me to stay, Hales. I know that I am a complete asshole for just leaving, but I was a stupid teenager!"

"A stupid teenager that became the head of a company," she mocked.

"I worked my ass off to get there, Haley!"

"It just doesn't make sense to me that you up and leave all of the sudden," Haley hissed.

"There is a lot of stuff that happened and I don't feel like I owe anyone an explanation!" he snapped.

Lucas was getting irritated. He was truly sorry that he had left, but there was a reason that he didn't want people to know about. After all, that is why he left.

"I heard all about your life, Lucas! I heard about the millions of dollars that you were making. I heard about Rachel, the slut from fifth period. By the way, where is the kid?"

Lucas froze. How did she know about that? He paid someone to keep that detail out of the press.

"How…how did you know about that?"

She smirked, "Rachel had a friend named Mouth. Remember him? Well, he and I used to date."

"Then you should know that we lost the fucking baby!" Lucas yelled.

Haley's jaw fell, "What are you talking about?"

Lucas wiped the tears from his eyes, "Rachel lost the baby."

She walked over to him and hugged him. She had never been so angry with someone before in her life, but she felt horrible.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Lucas pushed her off of him gently. She was the only person that ever knew that about him. She was the only person that needed to know. Lucas wiped his eyes with his shirt.

"I'm glad you're back," she said.

He nodded, "feels good to be home."

"Sorry about your brother," she added.

"I'm the one that is supposed to be apologizing to you, not the other way around," Lucas said with a laugh. "Thank you, though. I just feel so bad for Brooke."

"Are you kidding me?" she asked as she raised a brow.

"I know that you hate her, but she's an amazing girl."

"I mean, I feel sorry for her, but she is evil."

He shook his head, "I've been staying with her and she was too good for Nathan. I think that you two could be friends if you wanted too."

Haley scoffed, "What are you smoking?"

"Nothing since high school," Lucas joked.

Haley giggled, "Same old Lucas."

Lucas wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Come on, let's go get Brooke."

* * *

><p>"You must have been hungry!"<p>

_What was she talking about? _Brooke glanced down to see that she had eaten the whole pack of brownies. She felt her cheeks turn red. _Whoops. _

"I'm so sorry," Brooke said.

"Don't be embarrassed. They were going to be thrown out anyways," Karen informed her with a smile.

"I just have been craving one of these damn things since yesterday!" Brooke said with a giggle.

"Lucas said that you were sick today…"

"Yeah," she nodded, "I just have been feeling sick the past few days. I think I just have a little bug. I feel better after I throw up though."

"Brooke…"

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Brooke asked.

Karen placed a hand on Brooke's shoulder, "Honey, I think you're pregnant."

Brooke scoffed, "There is no way, Karen."

"You got your period?"

"Yeah, last…" Brooke froze.

_Think, Brooke, think. When was your last period. Okay, it was the week before Nathan shipped off to war. So that was…_

"Shit!" Brooke yelled.


	8. Bombshell

**AN: I know that some of you are on the fence about Brooke being "pregnant," but I promise you won't be. It is not going to ruin anything ;) Thanks for the love I got from last chapter. I will be going out of town for two weeks. However, to make it up, I will be uploading new chapters every day until Thursday (when I leave). I will try to not leave you all with too much of a cliff hanger. Here is the next chapter, enjoy!**

Karen's eyes widened, "Is there a possibility that it's…"

"No!" Brooke cut her off.

There was no way that it was Lucas' baby. They hadn't even kissed or anything else like that. Sure, deep down, she kind of wanted to just kiss him. If she was pregnant, it was the day before Nathan left.

"Can you go with me?" Brooke asked Karen.

Her body was shaking and her eyes were watering. She was more than terrified of what was going to happen. Nathan wasn't here to be a father to their baby, if she was pregnant.

"Of course, honey," Karen said. She helped Brooke to her feet and walked over to Keith. "I am going to go to the store with Brooke. Lock up for me, please!"

Brooke sat in Karen's car and gazed out the window. Why did this have to happen to her? Why? She just wanted Nathan and now she had to face having his child without him.

"It's going to be okay, Brooke," Karen said as she offered her a small smile.

Brooke shook her head, "How can it be okay if Nathan isn't here to do this with me?"

"I am here for you and Nathan is watching you in heaven, so be strong," she reminded as they pulled up to a gas station.

They walked in and Brooke knew exactly where to go. Before she got on the pill, she was a regular to the section. Nathan wasn't exactly a big fan of condoms or sober sex.

"What kind do you want to get?" Karen asked.

Brooke scooped up the entire section and shoved it into her basket. She was not going to take any chances.

"Honey," Karen let out a laugh, "You only need three max."

Brooke nodded, "Yes, but I want to take as many as I can until I get the one that I want."

Karen took the basket from her and handed her three, "Go up to the counter and I will meet you there."

Brooke groaned. She felt like she was doing the walk of shame. She handed them to the cashier.

"Congratulations," she cheered.

"I better not need to celebrate," Brooke hissed.

The woman's face fell and she placed the tests in a bag. Brooke handed her the money and snatched the bag from her. This was not happening.

* * *

><p>Lucas pulled up to the house and saw his mothers Ford Focus in the driveway. He didn't know why she was there, but it felt good to be around his mom again. She was all he had and he really missed her.<p>

He walked into the house and placed his coat on the table. _Where was everyone? _Lucas heard some noises from Brooke's room. He smiled and walked into her room.

"Brooke."

She was leaning against the tub crying her eyes out. Karen was trying to calm her down, but nothing was working. Lucas sat on the other side of her and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't hesitate like she used to do.

"What's going on?" he asked frantically.

He sighed. No one was talking and Brooke was having a meltdown, this wasn't good. He looked around and froze. There were pregnancy test boxes in the trash can. _Oh, shit….no…._

A wave of sadness washed over him. He was heartbroken for her. He cared for her, but nothing was going to help bring Nathan back. She didn't deserve this.

"I'm sorry," Lucas whispered as he kissed her forehead.

She nuzzled her head in the crook of his neck, "Just stay here with me."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Karen stood up and waved bye to Lucas. She mouthed "I'll be back."

Lucas nodded. He didn't know what to say, do, or even think. This was going to be a hard thing to deal with. Brooke was already over the edge because Nathan wasn't alive, but now he would never know his child.

He rolled his neck until it cracked. Brooke looked up at him for a moment before wiping her nose on a tissue. She looked just like Rachel. The same lost, helpless look in her eyes.

_FLASHBACK_

_Lucas dropped his briefcase by the stairs, "Rach?"_

_Silence. Lucas walked up the stairs and walked into his bedroom. Rachel was frantically packing a suitcase._

_"What the hell are you doing?" Lucas asked as he rushed over to her. He slammed the suitcase shut. She was not going to just leave him without giving him some form of explanation._

_"I'm leaving, Luke," she choked out._

_Rachel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her brown eyes were puffy from all the crying._

_Lucas' face softened, "What? Why?"_

_She ignored him and continued to throw clothes in the suitcase. Lucas just watched her in desperation. He stood close to her, "You can't take away my unborn child from me, Rachel!"_

_She stopped packing and looked at him. He sighed. He didn't have to ask her anything else. He didn't need to guess what happened. That one look said it all. His heart dropped and he felt like the weight of the world just came over him._

_He sat down on the edge of the bed, blood draining from his face. She sat next to him and grabbed his hand._

_They sat there for a moment before Rachel said something, "I was laying in bed…and…something wasn't right. So, I went to the doctors…and….they….you know…"_

_Lucas wiped a tear from his eyes, "You don't have to leave."_

_"We both know we were both in this because of the baby," she whispered through the tears._

_He sighed, "I can't lose you and the baby, Rachel!"_

_She jumped up and threw a jacket in the suitcase. She zipped it up and looked at him, "I'm sorry, Luke."_

_Lucas ran his fingers through his hair, "Please…"_

_"I'm sorry," she said as she ran down the stairs._

_END FLASHBACK_

"You were right."

Brooke wiped her eyes and pulled back enough to see his face, "About?"

"Haley is a violent angry person!"

Brooke giggled and Lucas felt like he had won the lottery. There was that beautiful smile that melts everyone's heart. He loved to see her happy and hated that she was so upset.

"You know," Lucas said as he helped her stand up, "maybe this is a blessing in disguise."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "How the hell is this a blessing?"

He stared into her broken eyes, "You don't have Nathan anymore, but you have his child. A piece of Nathan is still living. This is a beautiful thing."

Brooke just took what he said in. she smiled. He was right. That was a good way to think about it. Though Nathan wouldn't be here to hold their child, a part of him was here for Brooke to hold.

She wrapped her arms around Lucas' neck and hugged him. Lucas wrapped his arms around her. It felt good to make her feel better. She pulled back and looked at him. She felt safe with him here and he was good to her.

"Lucas…"

"Yeah?" he said in a whisper just like she did.

But Brooke didn't know what to say, or how to say it. She exhaled and continued to look at him. She inched her face closer to his. He turned his head slightly. She could feel his hot breath on her skin.

She parted her lips and kissed him.

**AN: That was the chapter. Hope you all liked it**

**Coming up on With Death Comes Love: Doctors Visit and a chance of a Braley friendship?**


	9. Volunteering

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews. I got a good sense of what you all think. I have a poll on my page to see what kind of couple story I should write next. I have ideas for all of the couples. However, this story is nowhere near ending so it will be awhile before that is posted. Enjoy the Laley chapter, Brooke will be back next chapter!**

He sat there and kept his eyes transfixed on the wrench. There was a storm of thoughts in his head and he couldn't keep a hold of one thought. _Brooke is pregnant…_

All he could think about was Brooke. She was a poor lost soul that now had to deal with having a baby. He didn't know what to think of it. There was good and then there was bad. Part of him hurt that she was going to have a baby. _Am I jealous?_

Lucas ran his fingers through his hair. This was making him think even more of Rachel and the baby that they had lost. He prayed that Brooke wouldn't have to go through what they had. Lucas knew it was only a matter of time before Brooke had another meltdown.

He rubbed his lips and remembered hers on his. She had kissed him. It wasn't a kiss on the cheek and that was driving him nuts. Why did she have to go and kiss him like that? He had always had a soft spot Brooklyn Davis, but never got the chance to show it. Maybe, just maybe, this was his moment to shine and sweep her off of his feet.

But what about Rachel? Why was he so obsessed with thinking about her now after all of this time? She left him and claimed that there were no real feelings between them. Lucas knew that they loved each other, but she wanted out of their relationship.

"Luke?"

He jumped and turned to face the door. Haley was standing there. He could see the worry in her eyes.

"Hey, Hales."

She sighed and grabbed a stool to sit next to him, "What's going on, Lucas?"

He shrugged, "Just working."

She placed her hand on his shoulder, "You have been in that exact same position for like twenty minutes."

He let out a small laugh, "I was just thinking about things."

Lucas stood up and popped the hood of the Chevrolet Silverado that was in front of him. He tried to focus on the engine so it wouldn't look like he was lost in thought.

"Just because I think you are an asshole and I don't like you, doesn't mean that you can't talk to me," she sassed.

Lucas chuckled, "Haley, you used to never cuss."

"Not until I got into the music business and got tired of groupies," she teased.

Lucas grabbed a rag to clean up a leaking pipe, "Just got a lot on my plate."

"Like what?"

He ignored her and continued to work. Keith was going to kill him if he wasted any more time trying to fix this truck. Lucas didn't want any more problems with anyone.

"Lucas," she walked over to him, "I will continue to ask what is wrong until you—"

"You're still annoying as hell," he said with a laugh.

"So…"

"Brooke is pregnant and I am trying to help her go through that, but I keep thinking of Rach. I really like Brooke, but I don't know how to help her," Lucas said quickly. He was letting it all off his chest.

Haley gasped, "Pregnant?"

Lucas nodded as he shut the hood in frustration, "Two months, to be exact."

She sat down on the stool, her mouth wide open, "Poor Brooke."

"I want to help take the pain away and I don't know what to do…"

"There is not much you can do, Luke," Haley said softly.

Haley had never seen Lucas so distraught before. He never was the kind to get too wrapped up in his thoughts until he snapped. She felt like there was more to this story than what he said.

"Is that all?"

He shook his head and sighed, "She kissed me last night and I don't know what to do."

She giggled, "You kiss her back?"

He glared at her, he knew she was kidding, "I'm serious, Haley. I feel like I really care about her and I don't want her to suffer alone. I'm the only one that she has."

"Maybe she shouldn't have been such a bitch in high school," Haley cringed as soon as that came out of her mouth.

Lucas felt his blood boil, "She isn't the same as in high school, for fucks sake Haley!"

"I didn't mean that…"

"She needs people to help keep her positive and not remind her of how alone she is," he snapped. He didn't mean to be angry with her; he just was trying to protect her. "I don't want her to be depressed and lose this baby because no one is there for her."

"She has you, Lucas," Haley said as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"But that's all she has. I have to ask my mom to take her to the doctors Haley, _my mother_. She doesn't have any friends to help her out here. I can't go to every doctor's appointment with her. I can't be there for her twenty-four hours a damn day—"

"Ok, ok. I get it, Lucas. She needs friends."

"Thanks for volunteering, Hales," Lucas said with a smirk.

She sighed, "But I am only doing this for you, okay?"

He hugged her tightly. He hoped that they would respond well to each other. No one is the same as they were in high school; he was the farthest thing from it. Lucas needed someone else to help watch over and protect Brooke. Even though this was just one of the things on his mind, he felt a little better.

**AN: Review. Let me know what you think :)**

**COMING UP Next: Braley goes to Brooke's doctor appointment. Will they respond well to each other?**

**COMING UP LATER: Dinner with Deb and Dan? Braley bonds.**


	10. Starting Over

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews and voting in the poll! Enjoy the chapter!**

Lucas hit the off button on the alarm clock. He had been sleeping in the bed with Brooke since the kiss. He just wanted to make sure she was safe. He smiled as he watched her sleep. Brooke was so peaceful.

He rubbed her shoulder, "Come on, Brooke, it's time to get up."

She swatted his hand off of her, "I don't want to get up."

"You have to go to your appointment. Haley is going to be here in twenty minutes and you aren't even up yet," Lucas said with a laugh.

"Why can't you take me?"

He sighed. It hurt him to hear her say that. She didn't know how much he would love to be there and hold her hand through it.

"I have to work to pay the bills," he reminded.

Brooke groaned as she stood up, "Don't you know, you aren't supposed to wake up a pregnant woman?"

He rolled his eyes, "I think I can take you."

Brooke smiled as a familiar scent flooded her nose, "You made me brownies?"

Lucas nodded, "Breakfast of champions."

She walked over to the table and stuffed a few in her mouth. She felt like a pig when she ate in front of him, but it was too damn good for her to resist. Lucas poured her some milk, grabbed his coffee, and sat down across the table from her.

"Remind me to make sure you never make the baby breakfast," Brooke teased.

Lucas acted like he was shot in the heart, "Please, you can't even make toast."

She rolled her eyes, "I don't want to do this."

He sighed as he saw the tears forming in her eyes, "Brooke, you have to do this."

"I don't want to see it or hear it, Lucas…"

Walking over to her, "Sweetie, this is going to be hard for you, but think about Nathan. He would want you to celebrate this baby and love it as much as he would."

"How can I survive with the fact that my son won't have a father?"

"Son?" Lucas asked. She was too early to know the sex of the baby.

She tried not to smile, "I had a dream that it was a baby boy and it looked just like Nathan with my dimples."

He smiled, "I know that you are scared, but how many people get to have a piece of their love one after they pass?"

"I know that you are right, but I'm just really scared and confused."

He embraced her in a hug and rubbed her back, "I'm gonna help you through this, I promise."

The doorbell rang, killing the mood and the moment for Lucas. He watched as Brooke practically sprinted to her bedroom. He opened the door and hugged Haley.

She walked into the house and looked around, "Smells like brownies?"

"Brooke likes them so I made her some for breakfast," Lucas informed her as he put the dishes in the sink.

Haley smiled, "Oo la la."

Lucas chuckled, "Anything to make this easier for her, Hales. She is having an emotional day today, so please, be nice to her."

"I promise, Principal Scott, that I will be on my best behavior."

Brooke exited the bedroom and walked over to the pair. Caution was written all over her. She was scared of the appointment and of Haley. She used to be really mean to her, why was she helping her now?

She pulled down the hoodie so it wasn't so tight, "Are you ready?"

Haley nodded, "Let's go."

* * *

><p>They hadn't said a word to each other since they left the house. What was there to say to someone that you hated in high school? Brooke was too busy thinking of Nathan and Haley just wanted to hurry this thing up.<p>

"Thanks."

Haley raised a brow, "For what?"

"For being here with me," Brooke said sincerely.

Brooke was grateful that someone was here with her and helping her out. She couldn't do this by herself. It felt really nice for her to have a friend back in her life.

"To be honest, I came because Lucas asked me too," Haley said softly.

Brooke gave her a small smile, "I figured that was the reason."

She felt dumb for thinking that Haley would actually want to be her friend. She used to yell at Haley when she was tutoring Nathan. She was territorial, but who wasn't when they were sixteen. She only had Lucas and his family to help her through this.

"You know what?"

"What?" Brooke asked.

"We aren't the same people as we were in high school. I think that we both deserve a clean start, sound good?"

Brooke hugged her. She was really happy that Haley said that and they could be friends. This was probably the result of her hormones, but she didn't care. Lucas wasn't going to be able to help her with everything.

"That means a lot to me," Brooke said as she sat back in her chair.

She felt a little better about this doctor's visit. She wasn't going to be completely alienated with weird feelings to go around.

"So have you gone baby crazy yet?"

Brooke shrugged, "I don't really know if I can go through with keeping it, honestly."

Haley flinched, "What do you mean?"

"Think about losing the man of your dreams and then seeing a constant reminder of him every day, but through your child? I honestly don't know what I want to do about it…"

"Maybe, seeing it will help and holding it will—"

"Brooke Davis."

Haley sighed as the doctor called them back. Brooke took a deep breath. She wished that Nathan was here to experience this with her. She knew that he was watching, but she wanted to physically have him here.

Brooke changed into the gown and laid on the table. She kept her focus on the ceiling. She didn't want to answer any questions or see anything. This was not going to be easy.

"I understand that you are almost three months pregnant?"

Brooke nodded, her voice was shaking, "Yes."

Haley had only seen this situation unfold on television. She had no clue what was going to happen and how to even help Brooke through this. She grabbed Brooke's hand and held it. This was what she would want if she was in her shoes.

"This might feel a little uncomfortable…"

Brooke took a deep breath as she felt the wand go into her. She squeezed Haley's hand tightly and closed her eyes. She didn't want to look at the screen. As Haley squeezed her hand, she thought of Nathan holding her hand. She heard his voice comforting her in her head.

"There is your little baby, right there," he pointed to the screen.

Brooke heard Haley start to cry and coo over the picture. She kept her eyes shut. This was all moving way too fast and she didn't want to accept the reality of it.

"Brooke, look at the screen," Haley insisted.

She kept her eyes closed and continued to think about Nathan. She was picturing herself wrapped in his arms at Nathan's family cabin. That was their favorite place to go when they were alone.

"Ms. Davis?"

She exhaled deeply, turning her head to the screen. The moment she opened her eyes, she gasped. It was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen. She felt like she was the only one in the room. It was moving around and wiggling its arms.

Her eyes started to water. This was her baby. This was a little piece of Nathan left for the world. Her eyes stayed transfixed on the screen. All the doubt of getting rid of it went away in a heartbeat. She knew that there was no way in hell anyone was taking this baby away from her.

The doctor handed her an envelope of pictures, "These are for you to keep. You are free to go and I will see you in a few weeks."

Brooke snatched the envelopes and held them in her hands close to her heart. She couldn't wait to hold the baby boy. Sure it could be a little girl, but she wouldn't feel as complete unless it was a boy.

After she got dressed, she met Haley in the car. Haley was grinning and Brooke laughed, "What?"

"That is going to be the cutest baby ever," she squealed.

Brooke grinned, "I know! I can't wait to meet him!"

"I'm glad you are happy, Brooke," Haley said as she started the car.

"Me too," Brooke said quickly.

She wasn't perfectly okay just because she saw her baby, but she felt so overjoyed because she saw it. this baby was going to help her fill Nathan's void.

"About six months to go!"

Brooke giggled. For her, it seemed like an eternity. She just wanted to hold her baby and tell it all about its wonderful father. Lucas was going to be there and help play the daddy role, just like Keith did for him.

"I can't wait to show Luke!" Brooke exclaimed as they pulled into the driveway.

Haley smiled, "Let me know how it goes!"

Brooke nodded as she exited the car, "I will call you tomorrow!"

She waved goodbye and entered the house. The TV was on but Lucas was nowhere in sight. Brooke walked into her bedroom and smiled. Lucas was passed out in the bed.

She turned on the light and sat next to him, "Lukey!"

He groaned, "Don't ever call me that again."

"I got the pictures!" Brooke was jumping up and down on the bed now. She had been waiting all day to show him these pictures.

Lucas smiled and sat up in the bed. He was surprised that she was in such a good mood. Part of him was confident that this was going to make her fall into even more of a depression.

He opened the envelope and covered his mouth instantly. His eyes widened. He knew that she was pregnant, but he never got to see pictures like this when Rachel was pregnant. She went by herself and kept it to herself.

"That's insane," he said in awe.

Brooke flashed him her infamous smile, "I'm obsessed with this baby."

Lucas nodded, "It's going to be perfect."

"Luke?"

"Hmmm?"

"I want you to help me raise this baby."

"What?" Lucas was not expecting that to come out of her mouth.

Lucas Scott had, at one time, pictured himself having a family with Brooke. He wanted to help take care of this baby, but to have her ask was a different story.

These past few days had been killing him mentally and emotionally. Rachel had been in the back of his mind ever since he saw the look in Brooke's face. What was he going to happen when Brooke had the baby? Was she going to shut him out? What about the kiss that set his world on fire?

"You know that I would do anything for you and the baby. Nathan would want me to help you through this, even if we weren't that close," he said softly.

Lucas Scott had a lot of regrets in his life, but he was going to try to make things right with everyone. He was getting his life back and there was no reason for him to keep living in the past.

She grinned, "Thanks for everything."

He nodded and gave her a hug. As he held her, he thought about the idea of them being more than whatever this was. Was it wrong to have feelings for his brothers girl?

Brooke kissed him. Lucas melted. Once again, they had a passionate kiss. He was now confused on what this meant for them.

Lucas took her hand and held it tight, "Why do you keep kissing me?"

She hesitated for a moment, comptemplating an answer, "I just feel like I really want to..."

"Just because?"

"Because something in my head is telling me to kiss you. I want to because I get nervous when you are around and you have done so much for me," she yelled.

Brooke stood up and leaned her back on the dresser. She was going crazy with thoughts too. She was having feelings for someone other than Nathan. She felt something for Lucas and it was scaring the shit out of her.

Lucas walked up to her and cupped her cheek, "I want to too."

**AN: Review. I hoped you all like it**

**COMING UP: Braley goes shopping, Brooke wants Lucas to go to dinner with her, Dan, and Deb.**

**COMING UP LATER: What happens when someone makes a phone call to an old friend?**


	11. Devil's Talk

Brooke took a bite of her pizza and smiled. She was so glad that Haley showed her this place. This pizza was almost as good as the ones she had in Italy when she was younger.

"This is delicious!" Brooke said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

Haley smiled, "This is my favorite little pizza place! Seriously, I will never order a pizza on the phone again!"

Brooke giggled. Their friendship was still a new concept to her. It was obvious that they were both on edge, but they were really trying to be friends.

"I still can't believe we are here," she said as she took another huge bite of her pizza.

"I know! Who would have thought that the most popular girl and the nerdiest girl would be enjoying each other's company?" Haley said with a laugh.

"For the record," Brooke looked her in the eyes, "I am sorry for all the horrible things that I did to you."

Brooklyn Davis was all about her image when she was sixteen. Her clothes were top-notch designers, looked like a runway model every day, and was captain of the cheerleading squad.

Anyone that didn't have a high enough social status, would be able to hang with her. She hates to look back and think about how evil she could actually be. Nathan and her would fight all of the time before they got out of high school.

"Brooke?" Haley asked.

She shook her head. She was lost in thought and having flashbacks to what she had done. "I really am sorry."

"Me too."

Brooke was taken aback, "What?"

What in the hell did she have to be sorry about? Haley was Brooke's number one target back in high school because she didn't have a backbone. What could she have possibly done that was worse than what she did to her?

"You do remember the fact that I videotaped your cheerleading audition and sent it around school, right?" Brooke asked with a laugh.

Haley wasn't saying anything and this was only making her more paranoid. She was obviously hesitant of whatever was going to come out of her mouth.

"I know what you did," Haley said softly.

"Let me remind you, I made you dance in your underwear because I said it was a tradition. No, I was just looking for a cheap laugh," Brooke said as tears formed in her eyes.

She was frustrated to think that Haley felt guilty of something she supposedly did to Brooke. How could Haley feel guilty?

"I made out with Nathan," she said quickly.

Brooke gasped. She felt that aching pain in her chest. What the hell was she talking about?

"What the fuck are you talking about?" she hissed.

Haley was on the verge of crying, "Brooke, I…I'm sorry…I just…"

She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Brooke had been anything but nice to Haley, but she never would have done something like that. They were going to put the past away, right?

Sighing, "When did this all happen."

"When I was tutoring him," she said out of the side of her mouth.

Haley James didn't want to cause the poor girl anymore pain, but she wanted them to get everything off their chest. She wanted to get this off her chest for awhile. They were going to start over and be friends, right?

"Like did it just happen once?"

She needed to know more. This would change a lot of things about her idea of Nathan, but she knew she could never be mad at him. He wasn't here anymore, but she felt him everywhere. Brooke just wished that she could sit down and talk to him about this, not with Haley.

"Not really…he was just really unhappy. You two had been going at it and he was wondering if he should call it quits…"

Haley's words cut her like a knife. She remembered on several occasions wanting to call it off. It just hurt to hear this when he is not here to defend himself.

The pain in her heart wasn't as tight anymore. She needed to forgive him and forget what happened. There was no way that Haley would make it up because Brooke suspected it back then. She was thankful that Haley told her, but not like this.

"I'm so sorry, Brooke," Haley said as she broke down in tears.

Brooke reached her hand across the table, "The past is behind us."

Haley shook her hand and offered her a small smile, "I just have been holding onto that for so long…"

She nodded, "I was too, but now I am ready to start a new chapter. I have you and Lucas."

"Let's go get you some baby books!"

Brooke smiled, "I don't read."

Haley rolled her eyes, "They have audibooks!"

"That's more like it!"

* * *

><p>Lucas looked out the window and frowned. The sky had been darkening and it had been pouring for over an hour now. Lightning flashed across the sky.<p>

Brooke trudged out of the bedroom and rubbed her eyes, "Can't a pregnant girl take a nap?"

Lucas chuckled as he joined her in the living room, "How did everything go with Haley?"

She sat on the love seat with him, wrapping herself around him. She didn't want to talk about it. All she wanted to do was snuggle up to Lucas.

She puckered her lips until he kissed her. She kissed him more passionately this time, wrapping her hands around his head. He pulled her close to him, chest touching.

Brooke loved having someone to be affectionate with. She loved kissing Lucas and having him kiss her back. He was making her head spin.

The phone rang and Brooke kept Lucas firm in place. Whoever was on the phone wasn't that important.

"Brooke," Lucas laughed through the kiss, "We have to get the phone."

Brooke pouted as Lucas sprinted off to get the phone. He froze as he saw the name on the caller idea.

Brooke raised a brow, "Who is it, Luke?"

He just handed her the phone. Debora Scott popped up on the phone and a chill ran down his spine. Lucas didn't think very highly of Dan and Deb.

He sat down across from Brooke. The pit of his stomach ached and his head got carried away with old memories. He avoided them at the funeral, but he didn't expect to see or hear them.

His eyes followed Brooke as she walked quickly into the bedroom. He sighed. Dan was an asshole and a huge reason why Lucas left Tree Hill. He knew that it was important for Brooke to have that relationship with them, but he didn't want any part in that.

Hate. Pure hate. That was all Lucas had for the father that he shared with Nathan. There was no compassion or even the slightest bit of love for him. Dan put Lucas and his mother through Hell.

"Shit!" Brooke yelled.

Lucas snatched a pair of pants that Brooke had thrown at him, "What the Hell?"

"I forgot that I told Deb I was coming over for dinner! I was supposed to be there twenty minutes ago!" Brooke said as she panicked.

She dumped the contents of her makeup bag on the dining room table. Today had been a long one and she completely forgot that she was supposed to have dinner with them to share the big news.

"Brooke…"

"Do you think that I should be subtle like 'Oh, I've been feeling sick for a while,' or just hit them with it like 'I'm pregnant?"

"Brooke!" Lucas snapped.

She jumped, eyeing him, "What? Get dressed, Lucas, we don't have time for this!"

He sighed, "I can't go with you tonight."

She raised a brow, "Why not? Look I know that you and Dan—"

"I would rather cut my arm off and get into a tank with five hundred sharks," he snapped dramatically.

She giggled, "Luke, I really need you there."

Lucas leaned his head against the back of the chair. He sighed. He promised Nathan that he would take care of her, but this was interfering. There was no reason for him to be there at all.

"Don't you think that they will get the wrong impression when you are sitting there telling them you are pregnant, but I am sitting next to you?" he questioned.

She groaned and glared at him, "Put on the damn pants, Lucas. Dan is a pompous asshole, but he lost his son and I need you. Please, please, come with me."

He clenched his jaw, "Conditions, Brooklyn."

"Name them?" she said folding her arms.

"One, we stay an hour max—"

"Lucas!"

"Do you want me there or not?" he hissed.

Brooke didn't understand where all this anger and hurt was coming from. She knew that Dan and Karen didn't have the best co-parenting relationship, but that was still his dad.

"Continue," she whispered.

"Two, I would rather not say anything about my personal life to them. Three, any mention of my mother and bye-bye grandpa. Finally, you have to watch an action, gory movie with me!"

She scoffed, "Just because I made you watch Legally Blonde—"

"Fifty First Dates, Sixteen Candles, My Fair Lady, Mean Girls—"

"Fine," she snapped, "Get your ass up!"

* * *

><p>This had to be how prisoners felt like when they hit death row and were about to become another name without a soul. He couldn't physically get out of the car. He felt his blood pressure go up.<p>

Brooke walked to the other side of the car and opened the door, "Gonna get out of the car, hot stuff?"

Lucas kissed her on the cheek, "I fucking hate this asshole."

She gave him a face that a mother gives their son when they do something they weren't supposed to. Brooke hoped that Lucas could control his emotions just for tonight.

She knocked on the door and squeezed Lucas' arm, "In and out, promise."

Deb answered the door and put on her best smile. She embraced Brooke in a hug. She turned to face Lucas and seemed confused.

"You remember Lucas, Deb?" Brooke said as she entered the house.

Lucas flashed her a smile. She nodded. He was glad that he didn't have to give the woman sleeping with the devil a handshake.

"Welcome honey!" Dan said as he greeted Brooke.

He had that same confused face that Deb did. Lucas felt his heart stop. He had never hated a single soul before in his life. Dan was the one person to make him want to jump off a cliff.

"Lucas, my boy!" he said as he hugged Lucas.

Lucas didn't move. He gently pushed him off and rushed to the table. Brooke sat next to him and glared at him. He knew he was being rude, but she didn't understand the circumstances.

"So, Brooke, I am glad that we are finally getting a chance to have dinner," Deb said as she passed the salad around.

Brooke grinned, "I am too. I am so sorry that it took this long."

"It's been a process," Dan said as he took a sip of wine.

She nodded, "It was really hard for me to get out of bed for a month. I just didn't want to accept this life. Lucas is helping me pay the bills and get back on my feet."

Deb reached across the table and touched Lucas' arm, "That is so sweet of you, Lucas. I'm sure Nathan is smiling down at you."

Lucas nodded as he took a bite of the steak. He never had a problem with Deb. She always encouraged Dan to e a better father and tried to get him to acknowledge Lucas.

"When did you get back?" Dan asked.

"Nathan's funeral," Brooke answered for him quickly.

She could see in his eyes that he was ready to leave. She felt horrible that she put him in this position, but she was being selfish. Never did it occur to her, that this was a deep rooted problem between the two of them.

"Your mother told me all about your leaving," he said snidely.

Lucas tensed up, "What's it to you?"

"Dan!" Deb hissed.

"Deb, I have some exciting news—"

"Why aren't you back at your company? Where is Rachel?" Dan asked. His eyes never left Lucas.

Lucas froze. _How did he know about all of that? His own mother didn't know about Rachel._

"Rachel?" Brooke asked.

"Lucas' lady friend," Dan informed.

"Keeping fucking tabs on me, _dad_dy dearest?" Lucas hissed.

He got up from the table looked at Brooke. She was going to be pissed at him, but he wasn't staying for this.

"Lucas," Deb said as she walked over to him, "stay for dinner and ignore Dan."

Dan now joined the pair, "I have every right to keep tabs on my son."

"_Your son?_" Lucas repeated. Shit was about to hit the fan. "That's funny. I can count on two fingers the amount of times that you were a father. I didn't mean shit to you because Nathan was your pride and joy—"

"You have—"

"Don't fucking interrupt me!" Lucas snapped. "You didn't help my mother with me at all you asswipe! You let a single mother scrape up money to buy me diapers and formula. I needed a father, I deserved a father. So, don't ever keep tabs on me because you are not my father. Blood isn't thinker than water when water takes care of _your_ blood!"

Lucas stormed out of the room. The nerve of Dan to keep tabs on him and try to watch over him, who was he?

Brooke had tears in her eyes. She didn't completely understand everything, but she knew something. She walked over to Dan and Deb, "I'm going to go…"

"Please, forgive Dan and his lack of manners," Deb scolded. She was tired of Dan treating people this way.

She shook her head, "I just wanted to tell you all that I am about three months pregnant with Nathan's baby."

They froze and stared at her. They were going to be grandparents? Deb started to cry. She was thrilled Nathan would still be here with them.

Brooke gave her a hug and waved goodbye. She rushed into the truck. Lucas floored it.

"Slow down!" she yelled.

He ignored her and kept speeding up. He was getting the Hell out of there. He was thinking about how Dan tracked him and was trying to act like he was a father figure. Keith was his father, it didn't matter that he wasn't biologically.

She sighed, "Wanna tell me what is going on?"

Again, he ignored her and kept his eyes on the road. He parked the car and flew out of the door. Brooke followed him into the house quickly.

"Lucas, who is Rachel?"

Lucas walked into his room and slammed the door. He wasn't going to sleep with Brooke tonight. He just wanted to be alone and calm down.

Brooke leaned her back against his door and slowly sat down. Tears had been rolling down her cheeks since she saw the fight. _Why is he shutting me out?_

She placed her head in her hands. She felt like there was so much more to Lucas then she knew. Why did someone she really cared about have to be mortal enemies with her baby's grandparents?

* * *

><p>Brooke had gone out for a run around the neighborhood. She wanted to clear her head and get back to the positive energy she had before dinner. Brooke wasn't sick in the mornings anymore and felt like celebrating.<p>

Lucas sat at the kitchen table and watched the clock. He didn't want to talk about it to Brooke. He didn't want to even remember what happened last night.

He walked over to the kitchen counter and poured himself a shot of whiskey. He needed to calm down and relax.

The doorbell rang. Lucas looked at the clock once more. Brooke had only been gone for ten minutes. He walked over to the door and laughed.

"Too tired to make it?"

"Luke…"

He froze and dropped the glass; it came crashing on the floor, "Rach…"

**AN: Lemme know what you think! As I mentioned before, I will be on vacation, starting today. I will update as soon as I get back in about two weeks! Until then, let me know what you think of this chapter!**

**COMING UP: Rachel is back in Tree Hill. Who told her to come back and how will Brooke handle this?**


	12. Hey Stranger

**AN: Thanks for all of the reviews! I enjoyed getting them! Here is the next chapter! I will be posting the next chapter tomorrow! :)**

"Luke…"

He froze and dropped the glass; it came crashing on the floor, "Rach…"

Standing in front of him was the girl of his dreams, the one that he loved more than anything. He blinked his eyes and wondered if he was dreaming.

Of all the people that he knew he was going to run into while in Tree Hill, Rachel wasn't even on the list. Sure, he had been thinking about her a lot since the situation with Brooke had started, but he never thought he would see her again.

So many questions entered his mind that he couldn't even concentrate on one thought. There was so much he wanted to know, but he didn't want them answered and become more upset.

She looked great and not much had changed about her. Her hair was longer than he remembered it ever being. There was so much that was different with him, he wasn't the same person that he was when they were together.

He knew that she was waiting for him to invite her in. This was Brooke's house; there was no way he was going to disrespect her by allowing Rachel inside without her permission.

Sighing, he motioned for her to follow him into the truck. She didn't say anything, but he knew she knew where they were about to go.

Lucas was surprised that he actually made it to the River Court without crashing. His attention was focused on the thoughts swirling around in his head. The love of his life, who left him broken hearted, was back from the past.

He took a seat on the bench and watched as she mimicked his every move. She looked like she was about to cry and this bothered Lucas. What was there for her to be upset about?

"So, how have you been?" her voice squeaked out.

"Fine."

She sighed and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear, "Look, Luke, I…I just wanted to see you."

Rolling his eyes, "You just wanted to see me after how much time?"

Rachel placed a hand on his arm, he flinched, "I know that I messed up!"

He hopped up from the bench and stood in front of her, "Messed up isn't even what I would say. You completely destroyed me and I was fucked up for a long time!"

It was her turn now to flinch. She rubbed her temples as a tear escaped her eyes. He wasn't going to be suckered into her sudden regret.

"I just couldn't stay there with you, knowing that there was no longer a family there. Lucas," Rachel grabbed his hand and tugged him closer to her, "I couldn't stay where I lost my baby."

He scoffed, "So take me with you!"

"But I couldn't even look at you without seeing what we could have been!"

"You're so stupid, Rachel!" he yelled as he walked away from her.

She ran and tried to get him to stop. He was way too strong for all 120 pounds of Rachel to stop. She pushed hard against his chest.

"I realized how stupid I was, Lucas! Why the fuck do you think that I am here?"

"I wish you would have just stayed wherever-the-hell you were!" he snapped.

His patience had run thin and there was no more of himself that he could possibly offer to her. She was the love of his life, the woman that was going to be the mother of his children, but she threw that all away like an old, crumpled paper.

Lucas took a deep breath and couldn't help but let this get the best of him. He just stood there and let go of the control.

Rachel walked over to him slowly. She gently placed a hand on his cheek. She looked into his eyes and saw the hurt. She exhaled softly and kept her gaze. Lucas touched her hand that was still on his face. Rachel leaned forward to kiss him. Lucas closed his eyes and placed his lips on hers. Their lips separated as the kiss became more, and more, passionate.

**AN: Thanks for reading. Review and let me know what you think is going to happen. The next chapter will be longer, promise!**

**COMING UP NEXT: Brooke finds out that Rachel is in town and Lucas starts to get feelings confused…**


	13. Complicate

Brooke rubbed her hair with the towel, trying to dry it while adding volume. The smell of strawberries flooded her nose. Walking over to the living room, she noticed that Lucas was still not home. She sighed as she walked over to her phone. No new calls or text messages from Lucas.

Sitting down on the dining room table, she gently eased her back against the seat. _Where is Lucas? Was he still upset by what happened last night? _Brooke had a lot of questions that she wanted answered, but Lucas refused to give her mind any kind of ease. She didn't understand why he was so angry with Dan and who was this Rachel person?

Brooke Davis knew better than to assume she was just a dear friend of his, like Haley. Why did it pain her to think of Lucas with anyone other than her? Sure, she had come to the terms that she was a hormonal pregnant woman, but she couldn't possibly be falling for her child's uncle.

Shaking her head, there was no reason for her to continue to think irrationally. She grabbed a newspaper from the end of the table and scanned through the headlines. Nothing really exciting ever happened in Tree Hill. Sometimes she wished that she had the opportunity to travel the world and study fashion.

She jumped as the door opened loudly.

"Shit!"

"Are you okay?" Brooke asked from the kitchen.

Lucas entered with a brown paper bag that was stuffed with take-out, "Dropped the damn take-out!"

She giggled, "No need to be mad at yourself!"

Brooke helped take the food out of the bag and placed it on the table. She grabbed them some peach tea to drink with their ribs and potatoes.

Lucas sat down and began to eat quickly. He didn't know how to tell Brooke that Rachel was back in town, nor did he even want to tell her about her! He tried to concentrate on eating the ribs at a rapid pace to avoid conversation.

"Lucas, slow down," Brooke snapped.

"Just hungry is all," he answered with a mouth full of meat.

She groaned, "What's wrong with you?"

What wasn't wrong with him at this point? He was developing feelings for Brooke that he never knew he could feel. He felt like he was on top of the world when he was with her. She made him feel like he was worth something and he never felt like much of anything growing up. They were on the verge of being in a serious committed relationship. That's all that he wanted since he used to watch her and Nathan in high school.

Then, there was Rachel coming back to Tree Hill. Seeing her shook him to his very core and completely turned his world upside down. He didn't think that she was here just because she missed him. Why would now be the right time to come up to someone that you had so much history with? He could still feel the kiss burning on his lips. Something about it was real and brought back good times with her.

"Nothing, sorry," he said as he took a sip of the tea.

She ran her fingers through her damp hair, "Lucas, I wish you wouldn't lie to me…"

He looked into her hazel eyes and saw the worry, "It's all going to be okay."

"What is?" she asked quizzically.

He was squirming worse than someone on the witness stand, "Just a lot of things happened and I am trying to sort out all of these thoughts in my head."

"Let's start with what the hell happened last night?"

"Nothing"

"Lucas!" she yelled.

He flinched. She had never raised her voice at him like that before. He didn't want to talk about it or explain any of his past to her. This was going to change a lot of things between them.

"What Brooke?" he asked, defeated.

"Why were you saying all of those mean things to Dan?"

He took a deep breath, "If there was a list of all of the people that I would want to see eaten alive by a shark, Dan would be at the top of the list. There are numerous things wrong with our relationship, if you even want to go as far as to say that."

She gave him a look, begging for him to let her in. nothing was making sense to her. Why was he being so vague?

"The moment Dan knew that he was going to be a father, he put on the act like he was going to win father of the year award. They were in high school and neither of them had jobs. Dan was a star basketball player and found a job training kids who wanted to be half as good as him. I was born and Dan played daddy dearest for a month. After that month, he completely cut us off and eventually found deb. My mother had to scrape by and do something's that she is not proud of to keep me alive. Dan had enough money to buy a new car, but couldn't give my mom enough money to pay for diapers."

Brooke scoffed, "why didn't she just take him to court?"

He shook his head, "He threatened her with tons of malicious things."

Brooke rubbed the back of her neck. This didn't sound like the man that was helping her and Nathan get on their feet. Dan Scott was a nice man that donated to charity, that's a little off character. She knew that he wasn't lying to her; you couldn't fake the emotions that he showed last night.

"Why didn't you tell me before we went to dinner?"

"I would do anything to be by your side, even if that meant I have to endure a dinner with Dan. Besides, I didn't even think that he would acknowledge me…"

"Why did you get so offended when he admitted that he was keeping up with you?"

"What am I under an investigation?" he snapped.

She flinched as he yelled at her. It was not her intention to make him feel like she was trying to pick his brain, she just wanted to try to understand what was going on. They were going to be around each other and she couldn't stand another blow-up like that again.

"Sorry, I just want to know what I am in the middle of," she mumbled.

He rolled his eyes, "The beef is between Dan and I. you are in no way, shape, or form a part of this drama."

"You see," she folded her hands in front of her, "Dan is my child's grandpa and you are my boyfriend—"

He froze. Being Brooke's boyfriend was news to him. Brooke covered her mouth quickly. Did she really just say that they were in a committed relationship? Her cheeks turned pink as she tried to think of something to say to erase that moment. Maybe she could just crawl under the table and live off the crumbs.

"Your boyfriend?" he repeated.

When that word came out of her mouth, he felt a warm, comforting feeling inside. He had always wanted to be her boyfriend, but maybe this wasn't the best time for that. Rachel was back and he was trying to restore his life in Tree Hill. If Rachel hadn't come knocking and made him think about the old times, he would jump at the chance to sweep her off of her feet.

"Yeah," she said with a sigh, "we have been spending a lot of time together and kissing. I feel like we are way more than just friends. Actually, I feel like labeling us friends is just insulting our potential…"

He sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, he wanted to say that he wanted to be her boyfriend, he really did, "Brooke, there is something that we need to talk about first."

Brooke felt her heart sink, she exhaled sharply, "What skeletons do you have in your closet?"

She was half kidding by her statement. At this point, she would be genuinely shocked if there was something that he hadn't talked to her about. Her hazel eyes stayed focused on him as she tried to read him. Unfortunately, he remained emotionless.

"Remember when Dan brought up Rachel?"

"Yes!" she said quickly. Finally, he was going to answer her question about Rachel.

"Well, I was engaged to her…"

Brooke raised a brow, "What?"

"We were supposed to have a baby together—"

"I'm sorry," she snapped as she stood up, "what are you talking about?"

"Rachel and I were engaged to be married. We were going to have a baby together and raise it in New York. I was making more than enough money and she had enough saved up from modeling," Lucas said as he finished his glass of tea. It felt good against the heat of his body temperature.

Brooke tried her best to stay calm, she hadn't heard the end yet, "So you have a baby and you just decide to tell me?"

He froze. He saw the anger in her face as she tried to piece this puzzle together. The image of Rachel packing her bags, the anguish on her face, flooded into his thoughts. If there was a machine to erase memories, this would be in the top three,

"We lost it," he said as his voice shook.

Brooke felt her heart stop and her blood run cold. She sat down quickly as she felt weak. That was something she could never imagine happening to her with this baby. No one should ever go through losing a child that could have brought so much joy.

She placed a hand on top of his, "I accept you through all of that, Lucas. I am so sorry that it had to happen to someone like you."

"Someone like me? I'm not an angel, Brooke. There are a lot of things that I should be punished for," he snapped as he knocked the glass off of the table.

Brooke wiped a tear from her eyes, "Lucas, I only see you for what you are, a good person."

Shaking his head, "There are tons of things that I am not proud of, but I didn't deserve to lose my baby."

A silence fell over the two. Emotions were running high and their hearts were racing so fast that they could feel it in their heads. Lucas had never let this anger out before, partly because he didn't have anyone to listen to him.

"How did Rachel take it?" Brooke asked after a moment to calm down.

He ran his fingers through his golden hair, "So well that she packed her bags and left me."

Her mouth remained ajar; her heart literally ached for him, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be."

His eyes were transfixed by the tiny little spider that was climbing its way up to the windowsill. Sometimes, he wished that he could be a creature just to avoid emotions and escape reality. He didn't know why he was feeling like an emotional pregnant woman…Brooke was more intact than he was.

"Rachel came back to Tree Hill today, that is where I was," he revealed in a whisper.

Brooke barely heard what he had said, but she heard enough to figure it out, "Oh…"

"She kissed me…"

She let out a small laugh, "And what, now all these old memories and feelings are coming back?

Her face fell as she noticed that Lucas didn't move. How could he have feelings for a girl that left him like that? He had been all over her and now he didn't want to be anymore?

She got up from the table and started to cry, "Have fun with her, Luke…"

Lucas sighed as he tried to catch her before she locked herself in her room. The door slammed inches away from his face. He hit the door with his fist in frustration. This isn't how he wanted everything to go down. He wanted to be with Brooke, but Rachel was his first love. How do you even pick?

**AN: REVIEW please! I have been watching the Olympics nonstop so sorry this is posted a little late. Hope you all are having a nice weekend! Stay tuned.**

**COMING UP: braley has an "I hate Rachel Campaign." Lucas tries to sort out his feelings as Brooke tries to plea for him.**

**COMING UP LATER: who will Lucas choose? More details of Lucas' life while out of Tree Hill emerge. Brooke finds out the sex of her baby!**


	14. Unravel

**AN: I got some great reviews. Thank you all for reading this story and commenting. I love to see your thoughts and predictions. To thank you all, I have written a chapter that is over 3,000 words and this might be quite the intense chapter. No, really, there is going to be a lot of crying and screaming. Probably a lot more curse words…my writing kind of took a life of it's own here. Brace yourselves. **

"Shut up!" Haley snapped in disbelief.

Brooke took a bite of her brownie and nodded, "Fan-fucking-tastic, huh?"

Haley felt her blood pressure rise, "I can't believe that he is even talking to her after she did that to him. You know he even supported her for a little while after she left him?"

She scoffed, her mouth opened wide in shock, "Are you serious?"

Nodding, "He knew that she was taking money out of their account, but he didn't say anything."

"He's stupid," Brooke said quickly.

Brooke felt like she was back in high school, gossiping with her cheerleading squad about everyone. Lucas was all she could think about last night. The fear of her losing him to Rachel was too much for her to handle. He was supposed to help her raise this baby because she couldn't do it alone.

"Brooke?"

"Yeah?" Brooke said as she snapped herself out of her thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.

She shrugged, "What happens when he goes crawling back to her?"

Haley let out a small laugh, "We burn the bitch."

Brooke wished that she could laugh and take this as lightly as Haley, but this was a scary thing to think about. She loved the past couple of months with him and how he continued to make her feel loved. The hole in her heart from Nathan would never be filled, but Lucas was doing a good job at trying.

"He is supposed to be here for me and the baby," she said as she rubbed her temples.

Haley felt Brooke slipping into the dark hole again. She had known Lucas for a long time, despite their friendship hiatus, she knew that Lucas never went back on his word. She hoped that Lucas would continue to be there for Brooke and forget Rachel. Rachel was nothing but trouble.

Haley pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found Lucas. she began to text him, scolding him for his behavior.

"What are you doing?" Brooke questioned.

"I am telling Lucas that he is an idiot and better get on board with the "I Hate Rachel Campaign," Haley said quickly as she continued to type her message.

Brooke giggled, "I Hate Rachel Campaign?"

"Yes," she said as she tossed her phone in her purse, "we are not going to let this happen, Brooke."

"I don't really think that we can stop someone from listening to their heart," Brooke muttered.

"Oh, come on!" Haley sassed. "You stay there and tell that bitch to hit the road! She can't just get him back that easy."

Brooke smiled, "So, can we get like campaign buttons?"

"I'm serious, Brooke, you need to tell Lucas how you feel and remind him of the promises that he made to you."

The wind picked up outside of the cafe. Brooke watched as leaves fell from the trees. She loved the changing of the seasons and fall was her favorite. There had been some cold days the past few weeks, but she loved it more now that she was pregnant.

There was too much pride in her to simply go up to Lucas and try to make him stay. She never needed a man before in her life, but it was nice to have one around. Part of her understood the dilemma that he was in, having a child bonds you with someone permanently. Although their child didn't make it, they still had that baby together and the memories.

"Did he reply to you?" Brooke asked. She wanted to see if he would say something to give her a clue of what he decided.

"He said that he is at the River Court talking to Rachel…"

Brooke snatched her car keys and grabbed her purse. That was the spark that lit her fire. She wasn't going to lose someone else in her life. She felt Haley try to catch up with her, but she didn't slow down. She was on a mission.

"Where are you going?" Haley asked out of breath.

Brooke sat in the driver's seat and started the car, "River Court. The I Hate Rachel Campaign is about to have its first meeting."

Haley giggled as she sat in the passenger's seat. She was not going to miss this for the world. Not only was she there to see Rachel and get a few things off of her chest, she was there to have Brooke's back. There were only a handful of people in Brooke's life and she could tell that was taking a toll on her.

They parked the car and groaned as they saw them sitting on the bench. Brooke felt her blood boil. They didn't look like they were having the conversation that she wanted them to have. She took a deep breath and charged towards them.

Lucas had the deer in the headlights look. _What is she doing here? _He spaced himself a couple inches away from Rachel. This was a really awkward position for her to put him in.

His electric blue eyes could cut her like a knife, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, hello to you too," Brooke said with a fake smile.

"Hi," Rachel extended a hand towards her, "Brooke, you look so different."

Brooke ignored her hand shake and pursed her lips, "I don't know where that's been."

Haley stifled a laugh. It was clear that this was about to be a battle and Brooke had no intention of losing. Brooke felt like she was in the movie mean girls, but she knew that she had to fight for what she wanted.

That comment rubbed Lucas the wrong way, Brooke didn't really have a reason to treat Rachel like that. They used to be friends and she was acting like an over jealous teenager.

"Don't talk to her like that," Lucas said through clenched teeth.

"It's fine," Rachel said as she placed a hand on Lucas' chest. She saw the anger in Brooke's face as she did that. "What is the problem Brooke?"

There was a lot of tension in the air and they all were on edge. Brooke knew that she was overreacting, but she didn't want to lose him too. She was finally happy again and it was not going to be taken away from her. Lucas seemed so in love with her, but she was starting to wonder if that was just a ploy to stay in her house or get in her pants.

"You're a horrible person and Lucas shouldn't even be talking to you!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Rachel snapped as she stood up and got in Brooke's face.

"Whoa!" Lucas yelled as he pushed them both aside.

Lucas didn't understand what Brooke was trying to do here, "Brooke, calm down and stop being a psycho bitch!"

If words could literally cut someone in half, he would have just succeeded in doing that to Brooke. She could see that she wasn't going to get through to him. Deep down, she knew that maybe this wasn't the best way to handle it, but she was hormonal and stressed out.

Brooke just looked at him and saw the anger in his eyes. She let a tear fall before she ran to her car. Haley barely had time to get into the car before Brooke sped off.

"Brooke?"

She wiped her eyes and kept focused on the road, "He made his decision."

Haley placed a hand on her shoulder, "He didn't make his decision. You didn't even tell him all of the things you wanted to."

"She was wearing his hoodie, Haley. They were all snuggled up before we walked over there," Brooke said as she took a deep breath. She felt like it was hard for her to breath, let alone drive.

Haley let out a squeal as Brooke jerked the car over to the side of the road, "Brooke, what the fuck?"

"Can you drive?" Brooke asked.

Haley gave her a small smile and nodded. Brooke's eyes were so red and her cheeks were so puffy. Haley felt her heart break for her. She couldn't imagine being Brooke right now.

"You okay?" Haley asked as she pulled into Brooke's driveway.

She nodded, "I just want to be alone right now."

Haley grabbed her bag and walked over to her car, "Call me if you need anything."

Brooke waved at her and walked over to her mailbox. She sighed as she saw the stack of letters in there. Flipping through them, she groaned; Bills, bills, and more bills.

The weight of the world was crashing down on her. Lucas was the only one with the job and money to pay the bills. They were in red envelopes and Brooke knew that was not a good sign. Now, she had to find a way to pay the bills and keep Lucas in her life.

She slammed the bills on the table. She was ready to explode with anger and tears. A ticking time bomb was what she felt like. Nathan would help her through this. As she slouched down against the counter, she imagined him here with her and all that he would say to her.

Taking slow deep breaths, she tried to calm down and not get so worked up. A loud noise was heard outside. She cringed. Lucas had just pulled up to her house. Hopefully, he was alone. Brooke didn't need to see Rachel again.

The door opened and Lucas stomped into the kitchen, glaring at her, "Wanna tell me what the fuck was that?"

Brooke felt so small, "Hey."

"Don't 'hey' me!" Lucas sassed as he tossed his jacket on the table.

The bills fell to the floor and she watched as they floated, "I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh," he threw up his hands, "you could have waited until I was home to talk about whatever it was!"

"I'm sorry, I just had the impulse to talk to you then and there…" she trailed off.

He was too angry and she was too upset to get anything through to one another. Brooke stood up and held her belly. She had gotten bigger and the bump was starting to weigh her down. Opening the fridge, she grabbed a bottle or orange juice.

"I don't get why you had to attack Rachel like that!" he snapped.

Brooke had no reason to jump down Rachel's throat like that. They hadn't spoken in years and if she did have a problem with her, she should have just talked to him about it.

"You don't have to defend her," Brooke said as she rolled her eyes.

"You had no reason to be malicious towards her," he snapped as he slammed his fist on the table.

Brooke flinched, she didn't like this side of him, "she's no good for you!"

"How do you know that?"

"Cause," she said slowly, "she is a horrible person and you deserve better!"

"What makes you say that?" he was completely offended.

"Me! Everyone!"

"You and Haley are not everyone, Brooke. Nice try, but you're being stupid right now. I am honestly embarrassed for you."

"Screw you, Lucas. I am so sorry that I care about you and you are acting like a douchebag!" Brooke yelled.

"Douchebag? Wow, I haven't been called that since high school. Grow up, Brooke. I get that you are jealous—"

"I am not jealous!" she retorted.

Yes, she knew that she was jealous deep down, but you don't just let something bad happen to someone if you can stop it. She was starting to feel used the more that Lucas talked to her. How could he possibly be this way towards her after being like her hero?

"Look at what she did to you, Luke! She left you the second that she wasn't pregnant anymore. You know why she did that? She did it because she didn't have a reason to keep you and get some of your money! I mean, she left you and was still taking money out of your account—"

"Shut the fuck up, Brooke!"

Lucas kicked a chair and it snapped into pieces. He was so angry with her. he had never imagined ever yelling at her, but she didn't know anything about Rachel or his life in the city. Where did she get off judging someone like that? He knew that they had something real, but how could Brooke say it wasn't real on her end?

"You know that I am right!"

He rolled his eyes, "I'm so offended that you are saying the mother of my child wanted me just because I was making a lot of money at the time."

"she is still the same girl that we knew in high school," Brooke reminded. "A cheetah never changes it's spots."

"Rachel wasn't there for me just because I had money, Brooke. There is a lot more to our story than just an almost family," he said weary.

He was over this fight and over her. she was acting childish and had crossed the line more than once. He wanted to be here for her and the baby, but not if she was going to be like this. She was going to be on her own if she kept belittling him and his previous relationship.

"Oh, come on! You are talking about the girl who was dating forty year old men when she was sixteen," she sassed. "I mean, really, have you completely lost your sense of bullshit?"

He sighed, he didn't want to yell anymore, "I had a drug problem and Rachel pulled me out of it!"

Brooke covered her mouth quickly. How is it that she was finding out more and more out about Lucas? She didn't like to hear that he was a druggie. She hated people like that and refused to be anywhere near them. She was in shock.

"What?"

"I was making millions of dollars and was twenty-one. When you think you are invincible and are making more cash than you know what to do with, you turn to coke," he said softly.

There was not a piece of him that was happy about the things that he did in the past, but she needed to know that Rachel is a good person. She pulled him out of the path that he was going down. She was a good person and even if she wasn't, they created something that bonds you forever.

He looked at her and remained pissed with a mix of disappointment. How could she think that he was so stupid and hell-bent on getting Rachel back? She was jealous and needed to do some thinking about this.

"I was the River Court to talk to her, just talk," he said sternly. "It is nice to catch-up and put the world away for a minute."

"Yeah, but you kissed and you said that you were getting feelings for her. what am I supposed to do, let you two fall back in love together?"

"Yes," he said quickly.

Brooke felt the wind get knocked out of her, "I can't do that."

"I mean, you are supposed to let me handle things and figure out what I want! I want to be more than friends with you and be there for the baby, but I have history with her too."

"A couple days ago, you would have sawn off your left arm to be my boyfriend and spend all of your time with me. The second you see her, you shut me out and I can feel you slipping away. It all just makes me wonder about some things…"

"Like what?" he asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"If you really even cared about me from the beginning!" she snapped.

"What would make you even think for a second that is true?" he hissed.

"Look at it this way, all over me and protecting me to not even giving me a second of your time. I thought we had something genuine and you are shutting me out for her. I know that I am hormonal and probably could have handled things a bit differently, but I am not sorry for fighting for what I want."

"Just because I am not all over you, does not mean that I want you to jump off a cliff and be a psycho!"

"I am not psycho! Stop with the name calling, Lucas," Brooke groaned.

"You're so stupid that I can't even talk to you!"

"Quit while you are ahead," she hissed.

He was being an ass and she didn't like this side of him. She knew that he was going to be with Rachel, but then he would have lied to her and his feelings would be fake.

"You can't just tell me you wanna be here for me and this baby, to picking your old flame over us," she continued.

"I genuinely like you!" he said as he stood up from the table.

"I'm sure you do!" Brooke sassed.

He could see where she was coming from, but she needed to relax, "I liked you since high school!"

Brooke wiped a tear that was rolling down her cheek, "So, why can't you just be with me and tell her to hit the road?"

Lucas sighed, "She is my first love and you are someone that I haven't gotten the chance to fully love yet. I can't just make a snap decision, Brooke."

This was killing her inside. She felt betrayed and like she was continuously being lied to. Why was Lucas breaking her heart instead of trying to put it back together again?

"Everything you are saying, is making me see that you already chose her and you faked your feelings. Congratulations, luke, you broke my heart after you promised you wouldn't…" she turned to walk to her bedroom.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her around, "Stop saying I faked my fucking feelings!"

Brooke swatted him away, "You did fake them because you are throwing me away like I meant nothing to you. If you loved me like you acted and claimed to, you would never have had to think about it this hard."

"Do you think that it is easy for me to love you?"

"What are you talking about?" Brooke snapped.

"You were completely broken because of Nathan's death and I mean, completely broken," Lucas said. "All you did was cry and I was always there to take care of you and pick you up off of the floor. When you found out that you were pregnant, I said that I would help you raise a baby that isn't even mine!"

"I'm sorry that I was suffering the loss of my fiancé and father of my child," she sassed.

"You're the hardest person I have ever tried to love! You are selfish and dramatic!" he said as he grabbed his jacket.

Her heart sank a little more, "Thanks for continuing to be here for me, asshole!"

"You know what," he said as he turned to face her, "thanks for making my decision a whole hell of a lot easier. This little stunt you pulled made it easy for me to see that you are a psycho path and at least Nathan got to escape it and is in a _way_ better place!"

She watched as he ran out of the house, slamming the door behind him. Brooke was so devastated by how cruel he was to her. She grabbed a clump of her hair and tugged. Her world had officially collapsed on her. There was so much anger and hurt.

Walking over to the cabinets, she started to let out screams of anger. Her hands wrapped around the entire shelf of glasses in the cabinet, she pushed them all to the ground. Her eyes watched as the glass shattered on the ground and pieces went everywhere. Her heart felt like the glasses that were once whole and now, it was just shattered into tiny pieces.

* * *

><p>"I need you to take me to the hospital," she whispered as she grabbed her stomach in pain.<p>

**AN: Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think! I am actually really proud of this chapter stay tuned. Xoxo.**


	15. Fix You

**_AN: Thanks for all the reviews and the new story alerts! woot woot! Enjoy the chapter :)_**

_He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in for an embrace. She nuzzled her head on his shoulders. Her eyes were transfixed by the sunset. The sky was a shade of gold, sherbet orange, and magenta. Their favorite thing was to come to the hill and watch the sun go down over Tree Hill._

"_I can't believe we graduate tomorrow," he said as he kissed her forehead._

_Sighing, "I'm kind of scared."_

_His hands grazed her cheeks and gently turned her to face him, looking into her eyes, "Why are you scared, babe?"_

_She shrugged as she stared back at the horizon. Her world revolved around Nathan and cheerleading, that was all that she knew outside of Tree Hill High. Outside of those walls, she was just a regular person. No longer was she the most popular girl in school, captain of the cheerleading squad, or the luckiest girl. Brooklyn Davis was scared to lose the one thing she needed in her life._

"_Hey.." he said as he softly kissed her forehead, squeezing her tightly, "It's gonna be okay."_

_Nodding, "I know, babe. The future is just scary to think about if it doesn't go the way that you want it to."_

_He sighed. He knew what this was about. There was no time to turn around and back out of the military. He had signed papers and was waiting to go to basic after he graduated. This was going to harder on him than her. he was leaving the place he grew up, his family, and everything behind to go defend his country. He was thankful for the time being, he was just going to basic training._

"_How do you wan the future to go?" he asked as he slowly rubbed her back. _

"_I wanna be a fashion designer, you know that."_

"_What else?"_

"_I want to have two kids, a boy and a girl," she said as she kissed his cheek._

"_I want a boy too."_

"_What about a girl?" she said with a laugh._

"_Well," he said with a chuckle, "if they are anything like you, we are in trouble."_

_Brooke shoved him playfully, "Come on, you would love it if you had a little girl. I want our son to be just like his daddy."_

"_It's always been my dream to teach my son how to play basketball," he said as he tried to pictured it._

_Brooke smiled, "I can't wait. His sister can cheer him on while he dunks."_

_Nodding, "I still have my old jerseys from when I was little. I want him to wear them and show his daddy how he is better than he ever was. I want my son to be my little man."_

Beep...Beep…

"_Daddy's little wingman," she said with a giggle. _

_Nothing made her happier than hearing the passion in voice. She loved hearing him talk about their future son and the way he would care for him. _

"_He'll be lucky to have you as a mommy."_

"Nathan!" Brooke yelled.

She woke up and her heart was beating super fast. Looking around, she had no clue where she was and how she got there.

"It's okay," Haley said as she gently pushed Brooke down in the bed.

Haley was wondering when she was going to wake up. It had been a rough couple of hours and probably one of the scariest moments of her life.

"what…What's going on?" Brooke asked as she started to cry.

She felt her stomach and looked down in front of her. There was blood on the sheets. In a panic, she let out a blood curling scream.

The door opened and Lucas rushed in, spilling his coffee on the floor. He rushed over and grabbed her hand.

He took a deep breath, "It's okay, babe."

She looked at him in confusion, her body heaved as she broke down, "What's going on?"

Lucas sat on the side of the bed and wrapped his arms around her. he rubbed slow, small circles on her back. There wasn't any easy way of telling her what was happening, but he wish he knew a way to help her.

Haley calling him in panic kept playing on repeat in his head. Part of him felt guilty and responsible for putting her in the hospital. Maybe, if he had been nicer, she wouldn't be here. He was completely devastated by what he said to her. How could she ever forgive him for what he said to her?

She nuzzled her head in his neck. Brooke was completely distraught. From the machines that she was hooked up to and the gown that she was wearing, she knew that she was in the hospital. Wrapping her arms tighter around him, she felt safe.

"I love you, Brooke," he said as he kissed her forehead.

The moment was ruined as a doctor walked in. Haley grabbed Lucas' hand and squeezed. They were all on edge for the past few hours since they got the phone call. The doctor walked over to Brooke's machines and started to write notes on his clipboard. Brooke kept her eyes on him to see if he was going to give her any facial expressions.

"How are you feeling?"

Brooke ran her fingers through her hair, "Tired. Why am I here?"

"You don't remember?" he asked as he continued to scribble on his notepad.

Brooke groaned, "No. why don't you tell me what is going on?"

"You arrived in an ambulance this morning at three a.m. and you were complaining of stomach pains. You were screaming," he said as he grabbed his stethoscope, placing it on her chest, "breathe-and then you started bleeding."

"Is my baby okay?" she asked as her voice shook.

The morning was a blur and nothing was making any sense to her, but she needed to stay calm. The flashback felt so real and she wished she could have lived in that moment forever. She took deep breaths in and out.

"You stressed not only yourself out, but also the baby. Stress can cause a pregnant woman to miscarry," he said as he wrapped up the stethoscope. "Luckily for you, your baby boy is safe."

Brooke exhaled softly, "Baby boy?"

He nodded with a grin, "Congratulations. You have yourself a little fighter."

A happy tear rolled down her cheek, looking up at the ceiling, "Thanks."

Walking towards the door, "I will come back and check in on you in a few."

A wave of relief washed over her. Brooke was going to have a baby boy, just like Nathan always wanted. Her smiled faded as she remembered what Nathan said about teaching him basketball. Nathan wasn't going to be here to make him a pro.

She buried her head in her hands, what was she going to do? She and Lucas were definitely not at the best place and their argument caused her to be here. He was awful to her, horribly cruel with the words that he used against her. It felt good to have him here beside her though.

"I'm gonna go get something from the cafeteria, want anything?" Haley asked as she stood up.

Brooke shook her head, "No, thanks."

Haley nodded and exited the room. She knew that they would need a moment to collect themselves. Haley was well aware of the dark things that Lucas said to Brooke, but she knew he said it out of anger. She was proud of him for coming to her side. Lucas had only left Brooke's side once out of the six hours she was here.

Lucas took a seat on the chair where Haley once was, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Brooke asked as she let out a sigh.

The fact that they had to have this conversation so soon and in the hospital, was really depressing her. the one thing she wanted, she came so close to losing. Every part of her wanted Lucas to hold her like he did moments ago, but she could hear their fight in her head. They were toxic to each other yesterday.

His eyes started to gloss over and he let out a sigh, "It's my fault."

Shaking her head as she kept the tears in, "It's not at all your fault, Luke."

"Brooke, I was…I was awful to you," he said apologetically, "I said some horrible things that I will never forgive myself for."

Brooke scoffed, "I was so jealous of Rachel taking you away from me that I completely overreacted."

She felt bad that he was putting the blame all on himself. Brooke knew she overreacted and dug herself a hole, but he was at fault for what he said to her. using Nathan's death against her, was something she could never forget.

"I shouldn't have said what I did," he said as he wiped a tear from his eyes.

"Luca—"

"No, Brooke, let me finish, please. I shouldn't have said that about Nathan, that was beyond fucked up and I am extremely sorry. It pains me to think that you are going to always remember that I said that. It pains me to think that I am partly responsible for you almost losing your child," Lucas said as he started to break down.

Brooke let out a whimper as she started to cry harder. She had never seen Lucas completely break down in tears. Her heart hurt that yesterday had to happen and this moment did too. She felt like this was the end of the Lucas and Brooke chapter.

"When Haley called me," he choked out, "I completely lost it. I don't even know how I got here. I sat right here, right in this chair for six hours straight. I just kept praying that you would wake up and the baby would be safe. You don't deserve heartbreak."

"We both said and did things that we didn't mean," she whispered softly.

All she wanted was to go home and snuggle up in bed. The fight was the last thing that she cared about anymore. She was over it and just ready to take her and her son home.

"I don't want to ever yell at you like that again…"

Brooke let out a small laugh, "Trust me, that makes two of us."

"I'm really sorry. I just kept thinking," he let out a few sobs before continuing, "what if you didn't make it and last night was all I got to say to you?"

"Luke—"

"No, really, Brooke. What happens if I never got to tell you that I love you? What if I never got to tell you that I always have?"

Brooke froze, "What? What about Rachel?"

"She knew where I stood and I told her that you meant so much to me. So much, in fact, that I couldn't stand to throw you away," he said with a small smile.

"Then why the fuck did we fight last night?!" she snapped.

"Cause you were like a bat out of Hell yesterday at the River Court. I started to second guess if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with your psycho ass," he said with a laugh.

Brooke giggled, "You are a douche."

He rolled his eyes, "Guess I deserve that. You don't know what you have until it's gone and getting that call just made me realize, I don't want anybody else. I know that we have some shit to work through, but I think that we can get through it."

She nodded as she placed a hand on her stomach. She felt her baby boy move around and that was the best feeling in the world. The storm was over and she could finally focus on her future with no questions.

"I believe there is something left for us," Brooke said as she flashed her infamous smile.

He melted as he kissed her forehead, "So, umm, Brooke"

Lucas got up and stood on the chair. He knew that he was about to be über lame, but she needed a laugh and he was gonna give her one. He took a deep breath.

"Luke?"

"If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go!" he sang as he shouted it to her.

Brooke giggled, interrupting him, "Please, don't sing that song and ruin it."

He sat on the chair and placed his hands on his hips, "I'm hotter than the Biebs."

Brooke nodded in agreement, "Definitely."

"Don't sass me," he said as he kissed her.

Brooke placed her hands on his face, "sooo…does this mean that you wanna be my boyfriend?"

"Swaggy," he said as he imitated him.

"Quit it, Lucas! I don't have Bieber fever!" she sassed. She was not as obsessed as some other people. Haley would have died laughing, she had a bad case of Bieber fever.

"Hey, all girls like him so I was just trying to sweep you off of your feet," he said with a grin. "I know, you don't like him, but it's funny to see your face. Besides, you like that song!"

"I'm tired," Brooke said as she yawned.

Lucas pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and kissed her, "Take a nap. I will be right here when you wake up."

Brooke smiled at him. She was happy that they could put last night aside and be there when it was needed. Lucas stepped up and is making sure he is there for her. Brooke did love Lucas, but what he said, she would never forget.

Placing a hand on her stomach, she closed her eyes and thought of Nathan as her guardian angel. Funny how she was having that memory and then woke up to find their baby was safe. Nathan was her protector even in Heaven.

Through all of the bullshit, she felt very blessed with the people in her life and in the clouds.

**AN: Hope you guys liked it. Review!**

**Coming up: Baby names and bed rest. Karen and Keith come over to help and give some advice.**


	16. Baby Needs A Name

**AN: Thanks for all the lovely reviews :)**

"So, you forgave him, just like that?"

Brooke nodded as she gently eased herself back onto the bed. She sheets felt good against her skin as she wiggled in. For four days, she had been put on bed rest and this was not going over so well for her. Bed rest was not fun and was driving her crazy.

"What was I supposed to do, Haley?" she asked as she saw the look on her face.

She shrugged, "What he said to you was awful, Brooke!"

"I know, Hal—"

"So, you don't just forgive them after they make a joke about your dead fiancé!"

Haley cringed as the words came quickly out of her mouth. Lucas had no right to be an asshole to her and Haley didn't get why Brooke was so quick to take him back. Even Haley knew that you have to make them squirm and shower you with gifts, but then again, who was Haley when it came to relationship advice.

"Haley…"

"We could have gone out and found us some hot pieces of ass that respect us!" she said with a playful giggle.

Brooke glared at her, "I'm pregnant, Haley!"

"So? You didn't deserve that!"

Brooke was fading in and out as Haley was talking to her. Haley needed to get off of her case and just accept her decision. She twiddled her thumbs and groaned. Her manicure was chipping and she wished that she could fix it. That was all Brooke wanted right now, to have a spa day.

"Haley, shut the hell up!"

Haley jumped, she was just trying to help, "I am just trying to help you…"

"I almost died and so did my baby, Haley. Do you really think that I wanna sit here and talk about what Lucas fucking said to me?" she snapped. Her breaking point had been reached. "I will always, always, always remember what he fucking said to me. I remember every time that I look at him, I can literally see him saying it to me now!"

She took a deep breath, "I just don't think you deserve that…"

"I didn't deserve it," Brooke said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek, "but, I really need Lucas in my life and I don't want to not have him."

"You didn't have to make everything okay right then and there."

"You're right…I didn't have to make things right then, but I had a rough day. I didn't remember anything and then I find out that I almost lost the last piece of Nathan the world will ever have, my child," Brooke said as she began to sob heavily.

There was no way to explain how it feels to almost lose a child to Haley, but she was gonna have to try. Lucas had always been there for her, despite the most recent incident. She knew that if she never would have egged him on, the fight never would have happened.

Haley wrapped an arm around Brooke and hugged her, "I'm sorry you had to go through that…"

"Lucas is a great guy, but he said a horrible thing out of anger. I pressed his buttons and he retaliated. I think I saw more than was actually happening, but I can see just fine now. I was a jerk to him by making scenes and forcing us to be in a relationship…"

Brooke sat there for a moment as she wiped her eye with a Kleenex. Why did Haley have to bring up the past? She was happy with Lucas and everything was fine.

"I really love Lucas…and…it's really hard to love someone after the one you've loved all along dies. Just, please, let me be happy and be happy for me."

Haley nodded, "I am happy for you, Brooke."

Brooke smiled, "Thanks, Hales."

They heard the front door open and Lucas walk over to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and then closed it quickly. Brooke smiled. She knew that he went grocery shopping for them. She was glad that he was stepping up to the plate.

"Brookie Cookie, where are you?"

"Go to hell," she snapped playfully.

Lucas walked into the room and waved to Haley, "Hey, girls!"

"You're in a good mood," Brooke said as she leaned over to kiss Lucas' cheek.

He nodded, "Got to help fix an old T-bird today at the shop! I mean, how often do you get to see an old car that you get to tinker with?"

Brooke and Haley exchanged glances. They had no clue what he was talking about. Who would want to drive a car around that looks like a bird?

"Oh…neat," Haley said slyly.

Lucas grinned, "Yeah! I took care of the bills and I picked up some goodies for tonight!"

"Goodies?"

"I got a jumbo assortment of brownies, nachos, candy, and a ton of movies. Thought we could do a movie marathon or something?" he said as he handed the stack of movies to Brooke.

Brooke turned to Haley, "You in?"

Haley nodded, "Of course, I am!"

"Sure you don't have to go home to your cats—oops, I meant kids," Lucas teased.

Haley playfully stuck her tongue out at Lucas, "Shut-the-hell-up!"

* * *

><p>Lucas took a bite of his sandwich and turned the page of the newspaper. He glanced at the clock to check the time. He didn't remember the last time Keith let him have half of the day off, but it was nice. Brooke exited the room with a stack of books.<p>

"Hey," Lucas greeted.

Brooke was startled to see him sitting there, "What happened to work?"

"I got the rest of the day off," he said as he took a sip of his coke, "What's with the books?"

Slowly, she sat down in the chair, "Baby needs a name."

He ran his fingers through his hair, "I thought you had one picked out?"

"No, I have ideas, but I want to see what other names I like."

Brooke knew that she wanted to name the baby after Nathan in some way, but she didn't know if she wanted to have a Nathan junior. This was a huge decision to make and she didn't want to just pick any name. Nathan wasn't here to help her and she didn't want to pick something that he wouldn't like.

"What would you name your son?" Brooke asked as she flipped the page in the book.

He sighed, "Keith Lucas Scott."

She grinned, "After Keith?"

Lucas had always wanted to name his son after the man that helped raise him. He looked up to Keith more than he probably even realized. Naming his son after him, would just be an honor and solidify how much he valued Keith.

"Yeah, he was my father," Lucas said with a smile.

"That's sweet."

Brooke pulled her hair into a bun. She adored the fact that Lucas had so much love for someone that wasn't even his biological dad. A feeling of calm washed over her. She hoped that her son would value the man who helped raise him just as much. Brooke knew it was going to be hard explaining daddy wasn't here anymore, but he was going to know about the great things his father did.

"What names do you like?"

She shook her head, "Nick…Bryan…Kevin…"

"You're just naming the Backstreet Boys," Lucas said with a laugh.

Brooke giggled and swatted at him playfully, "I just want to find the right name for this little guy. I mean, how do you pick a name that your kids will have forever?"

"You go with what your heart tells you," he said softly.

Lucas reached across the table and grabbed a book. He flipped through and then stopped. Didn't girls have their kids named the minute they fell in love?

"What?"

"Don't girls plan their life out with their boyfriends?" Lucas asked with a laugh.

She rolled her eyes, "Nathan wanted a son just like him, that's all. I'm sure he would like his name to live on…we had a girl's name picked out, but that doesn't help here…" Brooke trailed off.

"What would it have been?"

"Aubree Brooklyn Scott."

"I like that name," he said as he continued to flip through the book.

Lucas didn't want to give her any input on what to name her and Nathan's baby. She needed to decide on a name for them. This wasn't his baby, as much as he wanted it to be, but he was going to love it like it was. Keith was a good role model for him, more so now than ever. He was going to be like a step-dad.

"Any suggestions?"

He shook his head, "I want you to name this baby whatever your heart desires."

She sighed, frustrated, "I need help."

"Close your eyes," he instructed. Once Brooke closed her eyes, he continued, "Picture your little boy playing basketball. You just made the best lasagna for dinner. You open the window to tell your son dinner is ready, what do you call him?"

"Nathan."

Brooke smiled as the name came out of her mouth. She knew that there was no other name that her child should have than after his daddy. Part of her missed calling out his name and she could do it all the time now. All she needed was a middle name for her little boy.

"Middle name?" Lucas asked.

"Michael?"

"Nathan Michael Scott," Lucas repeated to her.

Brooke let out a squeal, "Yes! Yes! That is the name!"

Brooke rushed over to Lucas and hugged him. She kissed him passionately. Things were continuing to fall into place for her and the future didn't seem as dark anymore. She was going to continue to make herself happy and not take things too seriously.

"Thanks, Luke."

Lucas raised a brow, "For what?"

"Helping me through this. I know, I know, Nathan would have wanted it this way, but not a lot of guys stay around to help raise someone else's baby," Brooke said with a smile.

Lucas nodded, "I would have done it even if you didn't want me to."

A knock on the door startled the couple. Brooke unwrapped herself from Lucas and walked over to the door. She gave her hair a small tousle before opening the door. Karen was standing with Keith and a basket full of baked goods. Brooke extended her arm, motioning for them to come in.

"Hello, Brooke and Lucas," Karen said as she placed the basket on the table.

Lucas gave his mother a kiss on the cheek, "Hey, mom."

"Are you guys joining us in the music showdown we are hosting at the café?" Keith asked as he sat down across from Lucas.

"What?"

"Oh, I was meaning to tell you, Luke," Brooke said as she passed everyone a bottle of water, "Haley invited us to your mom's café tomorrow night."

"We gotta go support Hales," Lucas said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Karen smiled, "The money that we get from ticket sales is going towards renovations. I want to make my café bigger and expand my business!"

Lucas nodded, "we will be there then."

There was an awkward silence in the room. Brooke felt their eyes on her and she groaned. There had been enough talk about the hospital and all the drama. She didn't want to discuss with Lucas' parents the problems that they were having.

"So, I have picked out a name," Brooke said as she attempted to break the silence.

Keith raised a brow, "What's the name?"

She grinned, "Nathan Michael Scott."

Karen smirked, "I like that name. I'm sure Nathan would be proud to have a son that was named after him."

Brooke smiled back at her. She wanted her son to be like Nathan, but she knew that he would never replace Nathan. She wanted him to hopefully play basketball, but she wanted him to excel in whatever sport he wanted. The thought of having a kid was still hard for her to comprehend.

"I am sure it is going to be hard to raise this baby at first, but I'm glad that I have Lucas to help," she said as she held his hand.

He nodded, "Of course."

"It's going to be awkward at first, Lucas. You are playing daddy, but you aren't daddy," Keith said softly as he remembered what it was like. "I remember this one time, you were about three, and you came up to me and kept calling me daddy. I mean, I am your dad, but not your blood dad."

"You are my dad, Keith. That other asshole doesn't deserve it. I appreciate you so much more for all that you did for me," Lucas said as he walked over to Keith.

He wrapped his arms around Keith and gave him a hug. He was being a big softy right now, but Keith deserved to feel appreciated for making Lucas the man that he is today.

**AN: That's the chapter! Review**

**COMING up: Haley plays at the music showdown and another person comes back from Lucas' past. Brooke attempts to decorate little Nate's room…but let's face it, she has no clue what boys like.**

**If you thought the storm was over, it's definitely not. There is more to this story and Lucas' past life get's more real as he eventually has to face his demons. Stay tuned to watch it all play out. xoxo.**


	17. Calm Before The Storm

**AN: Sorry everyone for the delay! College has been forcing me to write so many papers in the first month of school. Yuuuuccckkk. Anyways, enjoy :)**

"Lucas, what time does the Music Showdown start?" Brooke asked as she put on her ruby red lipstick.

She ran her fingers through her hair to loosen the curls for a softer look. This was one of the rare days during her pregnancy that she actually felt beautiful. Nathan Jr. had been kicking around all day and causing her discomfort.

"Seven, but we are supposed to have dinner at six before then," Lucas called from the bedroom.

Brooke groaned. Time had been going by so slow today and that was not going over well for Brooke. The whole day she laid in bed and tried to relax through the kicking. If she wasn't as close as she was with Haley, she would pull the plug on going out tonight, but Haley needed her there.

She turned her attention to the pile of magazines on the corner of her vanity. A slow sigh escaped her lips. As much of an inconvenience this baby was, there was an urgent need to get things moving and settled for him. Brooke was clueless on how to decorate her son's nursery. All her life, she imagined having a girl with a princess room and tea time. Boys were harder and she didn't want to decorate the room with anything scary for young children.

Lucas entered the room, doing a slow spin, "Does this look okay?"

"Ya look good kid," Brooke said with a giggle.

He bent down to kiss her forehead and noticed the stack of magazines. He sighed. Lucas knew that Brooke had been stressed over how to care for this baby, but she didn't need to worry about what color the walls were going to be.

"We need to get going on that nursery before you pop out that baby," Lucas reminded.

Brooke turned to face him and glared at him, "It's not that easy, Lucas."

To him, it was an easy decision and shouldn't take this long to figure something out. Slap some paint on the wall; buy a crib, changing station, and some animal pillows to call it a day. Lucas was counting down the days until the baby came and "Hormonal Brooke" was gone.

"Are you ready to go?"

Lucas nodded and followed her to the car. He put the car in drive and headed for the café. There was an awkward silence in the car and Lucas knew that Brooke was thinking about something.

"What is it?"

"Hmm?"

"The problem," he said sternly. He knew her well enough to know that she was thinking about something important.

"I just don't want to make the wrong decision. This is my first baby, luke, it doesn't come naturally for me. I've never held one, fed one, or let alone change a diaper. The nursery is just making me more worried about being a mom. Once that room is complete, the baby is gonna be sleeping there. I just want to pick something that will make Nathan proud…"

Gently, he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Nathan is already proud of you and how you have handled everything. You are going to be just fine and I am here to help you. Why don't you talk to my mom about nursery decorations?"

She smiled, "that's a really good idea!"

He chuckled, "So stop fretting over the small stuff, babe."

Brooke kissed his cheek, "You're right, boo."

They made their way to the cafe and were surprised that no one was there yet. Lucas waved at his mother and Keith, who were already at the table with dinner waiting.

"Hey!" Karen said as she got up from the table to hug Lucas.

"Where's Haley?" Lucas asked as he helped Brooke sit down.

"She went to pick up her partner from his house," Karen gushed.

Brooke raised a brow, she was too happy about that, "Am I missing something?"

"Well, Haley found herself a boyfriend!"

Lucas smiled, "That's good news!"

Haley deserved someone that made her as happy as Brooke made him. She never really had much of a love life in high school. Haley was labeled an outcast and no one really wanted her. The only person she had dated was Mouth.

"Who is it?" Brooke asked as she cut her chicken.

"You'll see," Keith said as he passed around the rolls.

The suspense was killing Brooke and Lucas, but they would just have to wait for her to bring him. Brooke was planning all of the potential dinner dates that they could have.

"How's everything with the baby, Brooke?"

Brooke finished chewing her food before she answered, "The little rascal has not stopped kicking and moving around. I barely slept last night."

"About the sixth month of my pregnancy, Lucas decided that he was only going to kick at one time during the day…bedtime. I just had to plan my sleep around the times when he wasn't kicking the shit out of me," Karen said with a laugh.

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck, "I was practicing my dribbling."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "You wouldn't be doing that if you knew what it felt like."

"I know it sucks, but you are almost done with your pregnancy," Karen reminded.

"Lucas brought up a really good point today," Brooke began as she turned to face Karen, "do you think that you could help me pick out decorations for the baby's room? I am just having really bad anxiety about the whole thing…"

Karen beamed, "I would be honored to help you pick out things for the little one."

"Just don't get anything tacky," Lucas suggested.

"Do you want me to hurt you?" Brooke joked.

He laughed, "Just kidding, babe."

The door opened and Haley walked in. Lucas froze as he saw that entered alongside his best friend. There was no way that he was seeing things right. What was Haley doing with him?

"Oh my gosh, Chris Keller!" Brooke squealed as she rushed to hug him.

"Hello, Lucas."

His head was spinning and there were so many questions. All he knew was nothing good was to come from this. After all, how do you act when someone comes back into your life that knows something that could destroy you?

**AN: Stay continued, Chapter to come tonight or tomorrow. Just depends on the reviews. ;)**

**COMING UP: Music isn't the only showdown to come.**


	18. Storm's A Brewin'

The door opened and Haley walked in. Lucas froze as he saw that entered alongside his best friend. There was no way that he was seeing things right. What was Haley doing with him?

"Oh my gosh, Chris Keller!" Brooke squealed as she rushed to hug him.

"Hello, Lucas."

His head was spinning and there were so many questions. All he knew was nothing good was to come from this. After all, how do you act when someone comes back into your life that knows something that could destroy you?

He took a deep breath and then stretched out his hand, "Hey, man!"

Chris took a seat across from him, "Weird to see you back and not in the big apple."

'_No, it isn't weird to see me here. You know where I was,'_ Lucas thought. The comment made him feel weird. Was he trying to make conversation or was it intended to be a jab at him?

"Tree Hill is where I belong," Lucas said with a sigh.

Silence fell over the table as they began to eat their dinner. Lucas couldn't help but marvel at the fact that Keller had looked the same as he did in high school. The question wasn't why he had come back to Tree Hill, but why was Chris back?

"What brings you back?" Lucas asked as he took a sip of his drink.

Chris shrugged his shoulders, "Same reason as you, I guess. Tree Hill just has so much to offer nowadays."

That painful twinge in his stomach was back. Chris was back in town for a reason and Lucas couldn't help but think it was because of him. What could he possibly want to do now?

"We ran into each other over at the record store and bonded right away. He's a lot more mature then he was in high school. I'm happy that I finally found someone who shares my passion of music," Haley gushed as she kissed Chris on the cheek.

Lucas rolled his eyes, he had to stop this, "What makes you think he's changed?"

"Lucas!" Brooke snapped as she kicked him under the table.

He chuckled, "Some people change as life throws them a curveball, and you might be able to sympathize with that."

Lucas clenched his fists under the table and tried not to lose his cool. Was Chris Keller really going to sit there and try to get under his skin? Did he not forget that he got his ass beat in high school? Lucas was getting ready to snap.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Brooke asked as she looked at Lucas.

He sighed, "He is probably referring to my failed business adventure."

Chris smiled, "that's exactly what I meant."

All Lucas wanted was three minutes in an alley with him. Brooke didn't need to know about the past and at dinner with his mother present was not the perfect moment either. He was going to have to tell Chris to get lost another time when they were alone.

* * *

><p>"Lucas, why are you acting so pensive?" Brooke asked with a giggle.<p>

He shook his head, "Sorry, just thinking about taking a few extra hours at the shop to pay for the bills that are going to come up soon."

What was he supposed to tell Brooke about his odd behavior? There was no way in hell he was going to talk about a mistake he made in the past when he was a teenager. He sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. There was a small chance that Chris didn't even remember what had happened, a very small chance.

Different scenarios kept playing over and over in his head. No matter how many different versions he thought of, Brooke and the baby were always the ones that suffered. He couldn't bring himself to push her away to protect her, but he didn't know if this was a big enough deal to her.

"Want to go on a date?"

Brooke turned her head quickly, "What?"

"Would you like to go out and have a nice little picnic by the lake or something?" Lucas offered as he stood up from the table.

Grinning, "Of course!"

Deep down inside, he felt bad that he wanted to spend time with her before shit hit the fan, but he wanted to do it while he had the chance. What if the news was so bad that she never wanted to be with him again? That would destroy him and he couldn't handle that. Things were looking up for them, why couldn't it just stay that way?

"What are we going to eat by the lake?" Brooke asked. Excitement oozed from every word that came out of her mouth.

Brooke had been waiting to go on another date with Lucas. things had been so crazy with trying to get the baby settled and Lucas working all the time to pay for things, that they had forgotten to enjoy each other's company.

He shrugged, "You wanna grab some Chinese take out?"

Brooke nodded, "that sounds perfect!"

She felt like she was in a romantic movie where the couple goes on a picnic lunch date. Brooke was surprised that Lucas came up with the idea, but was not going to complain about the suggestion.

"I think that Nathan likes the idea too," Brooke said as she placed a hand on her stomach. Nathan kicked hard at the very mention of Chinese food. Brooke giggled as she remembered that his daddy loved that.

* * *

><p>Brooke smiled as she twirled the noodles with her chopsticks. There was still enough moonlight for them to see each other without using a lamp. She glanced at Lucas and smiled. He made her so happy and she didn't want this moment to go away for anything.<p>

"I'm glad you brought me here," Brooke said as she placed her carton down.

He nodded, "I always wanted to bring someone I love to the lake and relax with them."

"It is very peaceful here," Brooke said as she slid closer to him.

He wrapped his arm around her, "I used to come here with mom and Keith. We used to race boats and have cookouts here."

Brooke nestled her head on his chest. She loved to hear him talk about his childhood and it made her envision all of the things they could do once little Nathan arrives. She kissed his cheek.

"I would love to take little Nate here," Brooke said as she rubbed her stomach.

"I could teach him basketball at the court down the trail," he added.

A somber feeling washed over Lucas. he was hoping that he still got to step in and help Brooke with the "dad" role. One thing was for sure, he needed to talk to Chris before his world collapsed.

"I would love that."

"Keith taught me everything and I can't wait to have a son one day that I can show the ropes too," he said as he remembered Keith teaching him.

She giggled, "One day, Lucas."

He nodded, "Once I'm older and wiser."

"Deb and Dan want to meet up and talk to me," Brooke said as she groaned.

Lucas didn't want to talk about his dad at all tonight. There was too much going on in his life and he didn't want to have to worry about that aspect too.

"Let's just focus on us and little nate," Lucas said as he kissed the top of her forehead.

"I feel such a deep connection to you."

He pulled away to look at her, "What do you mean?"

"I had something special with Nathan, but I really feel like you and I are meant for each other," Brooke said as she returned her head to his chest.

It was true; she felt like he was her guardian angel and no one could replace him. If it wasn't for Lucas, she wouldn't be able to function and get through the days. Even though they had some rough patches, she would always need and love him.

"I love you."

Brooke kissed him on the lips passionately. He always seemed to make her feel like she was on cloud nine and nothing could stop her.

She placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him closer to her. a sudden urge rushed over her and she attempted to get on top of him. Her hands undid his pants button.

"Brooke," Lucas said as he gently grabbed her hand, "in the middle of the lake?"

She raised a brow, "Afraid of a little audience Mr. Scott?"

Lucas sighed, "A little boy could be walking with his mother."

"It's like eleven at night, Lucas," Brooke said as she continued.

"Okay then," he said as he surrendered to her.

* * *

><p>Lucas woke up and smiled. Brooke was tangled up with him under his shirt as a blanket. He rolled over to see his phone light flashing. Slowly, he reached for the phone and unlocked it. He froze.<p>

_So I suppose you wanna meet up and have a little chat?_

**AN: Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Stay tuned. The storm is brewing. **


	19. Storm's A Brewin' part 2

**AN: I'm super excited to announce that I am making a trailer for my next Brucas story! I'm excited but it won't be complete for a little while longer. I will post the link towards the end of this story! Got to keep the Brucas love fanfiction going. Enjoy the new chapter**

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to relax it. there was no doubt that he was stressed out with Chris Keller coming back to town and Brooke being in her third trimester.

A jolt ran down his body as he heard a car pull up to the River Court. A black, 2010 Chevy Silverado parked and Keller stepped out of it. Lucas took a deep breath as he saw his once friend walk towards him.

"Hey."

"Keller," Lucas said.

He felt like a guard dog. His eyes had not moved from Keller's once. There was a strange feeling in the air and Lucas was wondering what the nature of this conversation would be. Would Keller still be the same guy that would make the corniest jokes or would this be the version of him that he never knew?

"How have you been?"

_There he goes again with the small talk. _His blood began to boil. Why couldn't he just come out with it and stop with the games? Lucas was not going to let him get under his skin.

"Pretty good. Work at the shop has kept me pretty busy, actually," Lucas said as he cracked his knuckles.

"Where do you work?"

"Keith's Auto."

Chris let out a laugh to break the silence, "I always pictured you as a grease monkey, even if you always wore a suit to work."

He nodded, "Should have known better than to pretend to be someone I am not."

"Then why are you still pretending?"

Lucas scoffed, "I'm not pretending anymore, Chris. I went through a rough patch and now, I have learned to accept everything."

"Fair enough," he said as he sensed an argument, "What is with you and Brooke Davis?"

"Brooke Davis and I?"

"Yes…"

Without noticing it, Lucas was grinning, "We are together and I am helping to take care of Nathan and her baby."

Chris flinched, "I never thought that you would do something nice for Nathan."

"Nathan isn't alive anymore, Chris."

His eyes widened and his face fell, "I'm sorry to hear that, Lucas."

He nodded as he acknowledged his sadness, "I regret everything that I did in my past, but I guess, that makes us who we are today."

"No shit!" Chris agreed.

"I've always had a thing for Brooke, but I never thought that one day she would be mine, especially under these circumstances…"

"Everything happens for a reason."

Nodding, "It would be nice to know why sometimes though."

Lucas hadn't thought about his teenage years in a while, but he started to regret some of his actions more and more. He regretted that he let Dan get in the way of his relationship with Nathan. He was too consumed by the thought that Nathan had a mother and a father, all he had was his struggling mom.

He exhaled slowly, "What did you come back here for, Chris?"

Chris Keller's hands weren't clean either. There were a lot of things that he had done since he left Tree Hill and some of them still haunted him. He made some bad deals and got caught up with the wrong people.

Chris avoided Lucas' eyes, "Well, let's just say that I made a few bad choices in my life too, but there is only one difference, I had no choice but to."

"I'm not following you," Lucas said as he failed to connect the dots.

"You were the reason that we all lost our jobs and the company tanked!" he snapped.

He exhaled sharply. Lucas hadn't heard anyone blame him for the company going under, especially not someone that was once his best friend.

"Chris…"

"No, you made some really bad deals and screwed everyone out of a fucking pay check!"

Lucas sat there in silence and tried to figure out something to say to him, but what was there to say to him? Sure, it wasn't entirely his fault that the company had tanked, but he did have a hand in the company failing.

"Do you know what it is like to be making what we were and then go to making nothing?" he said with a sigh. "Bills start adding up and I am still so far in debt, Lucas."

He ran his fingers through his hair, "What do you want me to say, Chris?"

Lucas hopped up from the bench and walked around in slow circles. His mind was going crazy. There was no way that he just wanted to come here to tell him he was mad at him.

"I need money, Lucas!"

Lucas chuckled. He was working overtime in the shop to pay for the rent, bills, some of his debt, and the baby. If anything, Lucas was the one that needed money. Unfortunately, there was not enough money in the world to pay for everything that he wanted.

"I have nothing to give you," he said softly.

Chris rolled his eyes, "I am so far in debt and there is no way that I can go to jail, Lucas!"

"I don't know what the fuck you want from me," Lucas mumbled.

"You have to give me some money!"

Lucas shook his head and chuckled. Chris Keller was being pathetic and there was no reason for him to begging for money. He could have picked a better occupation than coffee shop musician. This was further proof that Haley should stay far away from him.

"I don't want to have to do this, Luke…"

He turned to face him, his eyes were watering, "Do what?"

"Finally give Dan the information to what happened to his beloved car dealership."

A cold chill washed over him and he tried to breathe. This wasn't going to be good.

* * *

><p>Brooke took a long deep breath and knocked on the door. She had felt like enough time had passed for her to get over the chaos that happened last time that she was here. Going to visit Nathan's parents always made her a little more depressed because he wasn't there to go with her.<p>

Deb opened the door and wrapped her arms around her, "Good to see you, Brooke!"

Brooke smiled as she gave her a small squeeze, "Good to see you too, Deb."

"Come on in," Deb said as she ushered her.

Brooke sat down at the table across from Dan. He was busy writing something in a notebook. Nathan looked so much like Dan that she almost wondered if little Nate would look like him too.

She twiddled her thumbs as she waited for Dan to acknowledge her. His eyes remained on the notebook and Brooke felt uncomfortable. It became obvious to her that she would have to start the conversation. "Hello, Dan."

"Hello," he said unfazed.

She felt like she had been shot, "How are you?"

"Content."

"What brings you by?" Deb asked as she broke the awkwardness that surrounded her.

"You wanted me to come over and I wanted to show you the pictures from the 3d sonogram," Brooke said as she opened her purse to find the photos.

"You finally decided to answer us," Dan mumbled.

Deb quickly shushed him, "Enough, Dan."

Brooke tried to keep it together; she slid the pictures to Deb, "Looks just like Nathan."

Deb covered her mouth and let out a tear, "It does look just like my baby boy."

"I'm sorry," Brooke said softly.

It had been bugging her for weeks that she failed to call them and apologize for the scene that happened last time that she was here. Lucas was way out of line, as was Dan, but they still deserved an apology. Brooke didn't know what it was like to be in their shoes, but she was still going to have their grandchild.

"For?" Dan asked as he closed the notebook.

"I didn't know that Lucas was going to make the scene that he did. Regardless of your relationship with one another, that has nothing to do with your grandchild. I want you guys to be just as much of a part of this baby's life as you do."

Deb nodded her head, "I don't want Lucas to ruin the relationship that we have."

Brooke turned to Dan and placed a hand on his, "Your relationship with Lucas is none of my business and not my concern, but he is still your son."

Dan just looked at her. Brooke needed him to know that Lucas was his son and that he hurt because Dan was never there for him.

"My child won't have a daddy, but Lucas is going to play the daddy role and you have to accept that—"

"Lucas isn't his father!" Dan snapped.

"Nathan isn't here, Dan! I don't want my child to grow up without a father figure!" she hissed.

Deb interjected, "Who's hungry?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. This was the hard part of Nathan not being here, dealing with his parents and not being able to put them in their place. If Nathan were here, Dan would probably have a different attitude.

**AN: Stay tuned!**


	20. Tick

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews and keeping up with the story! Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think :)**

Lucas shook his head and chuckled. Chris Keller was being pathetic and there was no reason for him to begging for money. He could have picked a better occupation than coffee shop musician. This was further proof that Haley should stay far away from him.

"I don't want to have to do this, Luke…"

He turned to face him, his eyes were watering, "Do what?"

"Finally give Dan the information to what happened to his beloved car dealership."

A cold chill washed over him and he tried to breathe. This wasn't going to be good. His chest began to tighten and he feared that he was going to have a heart attack. _How did he even remember that?_

"Like I said, I don't want to have to do this, Lucas," Keller said as he reached into his pocket and grabbed a box of cigarettes.

Lucas stared at him in utter disbelief. They were friends and yet, he was being blackmailed. There was no way that it was even remotely possible for him to pay Chris whateverhe wanted.

He turned to face him, _maybe the dumb card would work,_ "What are you talking about?"

Snickering, "Don't play dumb, Lucas."

_Shit. _He took another breath and tried to calm down before he had a panic attack. If he revealed the truth to Dan, it was going to be so ugly and way out of control. Brooke would never want to see him again, even if it had nothing to do with her.

He sat down on the bench next to him, "Why didn't you go get a job like the rest of the world?"

"No one would take me or I thought that I deserved better," he said as he let out a puff of smoke.

Lucas felt like smacking him hard across the face. If you needed money to pay for bills and get out of debt, you accept any kind of job because you will be getting income. He had to come back to Tree Hill and practically beg to get a job and a place to stay. Chris was always lazy but wasn't this financial problem self inflicted?

Rolling his eyes, "Then you work wherever so that you can make _some _money."

"I don't need a lecture on financial problems!" he snapped.

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck, it was tense, "What kind of trouble did you get into?!"

Things weren't adding up with this whole situation. Why was Chris in such financial difficulty that he had to come blackmail someone that helped him be filthy rich? There had to be something that he did that would make sense for the state of urgency.

Chris Keller had a heart of gold under the layers of asshole. He had to have gotten money from the wrong person if he would turn into this person.

"That is not the case—"

"I'm not a fool, Chris. If you are in such a problem, like you claim to be, then you had to get the money from somewhere horrible."

"Shut up!" he hissed as he tossed his cigarette on the ground.

Lucas stood up and smashed the cigarette, "Oh, calm down."

"Funny. You can put that cigarette out, but not the fire that you started."

A chill ran down his spine and images flashed in his head. It was a dark and rather abnormally cold day in Tree Hill. Lucas was just walking home from the big game when he passed by Dan's Dealership. He could feel the anger and pain that he once had at the moment.

"Flashback, Scott?" he teased as he interrupted his thoughts.

Lucas just stood there and froze. Everything was washing over him and he was saddened by what he had done. He wanted to be accepted by his father, deep down inside, but that would never happen.

Sighing, "This is going to destroy everything for me…"

"Join the club," he snarled.

Pursing his lips, "Can't you just keep this all under wraps and I will try and figure something out?"

He shook his head, "I need close to six digits, Lucas."

The air was gone from his chest. _Six figures?! _He was struggling to even make four a month. Why did it have to come down to this?

"You know that I can't do that, Chris."

He shrugged, "Well, then Dan will know about that little spark that turned into a flame."

"How long do I have?"

"Since I like you, three days."

* * *

><p>Brooke tapped her fingers on the kitchen table. Her hazel eyes watched the hands on the clock slowly move. <em>Where is he?<em>

Last night was definitely going to go down in history for her. Having a picnic with Lucas was romantic and made her feel more of a connection to him. It was worrying her that he hadn't been home all day. Keith called and told her that Lucas didn't come to work today. She had no clue why Lucas would call in sick, but she didn't like thinking of reasons.

She jumped as the front door opened. Lucas walked in and looked pale as a ghost. _Maybe he was sick._

Brooke waited for him to sit down before she pestered him, "Busy day?"

"Yeah, work was pretty hectic."

She froze like a statue and tried to not freak out. He had just flat out lied to her about where he was all day. Now, all Brooke could think about was him doing something that was all but pleasant.

Forcing a smile on her face, "Oh? What did you do today?"

Lucas tried to think of something quick to say, "Oil change, engine malfunctions, and other junk. This one lady's car belt broke and her car just stopped working. Can you imagine if she was on the highway?!"

Brooke shook her head and rolled her eyes. The fact that he had to make up a fake story to cover his ass, made her see that he was covering something up. Was he cheating on her?

This wasn't making sense to her. They spent a wonderful night together and the next day he goes missing? He obviously didn't know that Keith called her to check in on Lucas. Brooke was praying that she kept her cool.

"How long did you work today?"

"Seven to…whenever I got home."

_Another lie. _Keith called at twelve and said that Lucas had called in sick. So, where was he those other hours? Brooke didn't want to start anymore drama between the two of them. She was content in their relationship, but why was he lying to her?

"So, what's her name?"

**AN: Hope you liked the chapter. Let me know what you think! I will try to post the continuation tomorrow ;)**

**COMING UP: Lucas tells Brooke the truth, but can they stop Keller before he tells Dan?**


	21. Boom

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews and new story alerts! Enjoy the chapter. By the way, I have been receiving a lot of questions on when this story will be coming to an end and the answer is in about 10 more chapters? I am thinking about reworking it, but around there :)**

This wasn't making sense to her. They spent a wonderful night together and the next day he goes missing? He obviously didn't know that Keith called her to check in on Lucas. Brooke was praying that she kept her cool.

"How long did you work today?"

"Seven to…whenever I got home."

_Another lie. _Keith called at twelve and said that Lucas had called in sick. So, where was he those other hours? Brooke didn't want to start anymore drama between the two of them. She was content in their relationship, but why was he lying to her?

"So, what's her name?"

Lucas choked on his drink and just stared at her. _What the hell was she talking about? _He wiped the edge of his mouth with his shirt sleeve. He wondered if it was just the hormones talking again.

"What?"

She rolled her eyes as he continued to play dumb, "What is her name?"

"Who?"

"The girl that you were with all afternoon!" she hissed.

Lucas chuckled, "I was at work all afternoon!"

She didn't understand how he thought that this was funny. Was he trying to get under her skin or was he just trying to mess with her? Either way, she didn't find it funny at all.

"It's sad," she said as she stood up, "that you can sit there and tell me that you went to work. Yet, you didn't even go today. Next time you wanna sneak around, fill Keith in on your plan."

Brooke grabbed her jacket and scowled at him. He walked over to her and gently grabbed her arm. He wouldn't have lied if he didn't have to. Why did Keith even have to call?

"I wasn't with a girl, Brooke."

"Bullshit," she hissed.

He tried to pull her towards the table, but she shook him off, "I was talking to Chris!"

She raised a brow, "You skipped out on work to talk to Keller?"

Nothing that was coming out of Lucas' mouth was making any sense. She tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but whatever he was hiding was not going to be good. Brooke gently eased herself back into her seat.

Lucas walked over to the other side of the table and sat down. An awkward silence fell over them. He tried to formulate a sentence, but nothing was coming out of his mouth. _How am I supposed to come clean about something that I should have so long ago? _

He ran his fingers through his golden blond hair and sighed. There were two ways Brooke could take the news, but he hoped that she wouldn't take it both ways.

Brooke could feel the tension in the room. Her eyes collided with his for a brief moment. I chill ran down her spine. _What was so bad about Chris Keller?_

Lucas let a tear fall from his eyes. He had been carrying this burden around for many years and knew that he could no longer pretend that it didn't happen. There wasn't a day that he wished he could go back and try to do it over, but that's not how life worked.

His thoughts turned to his mother. Partially, he did it for her. Dan had always treated her with such anger and violence. Lucas knew she was going to be disappointed in him for what he had done, but he hoped she would understand.

Once more, he made eye contact with Brooke, _this is it, _"Chris was trying to blackmail me."

The wind escaped from her lungs, "What?!"

He nodded, repeating himself, "Chris was trying to blackmail me."

_What did he possibly have on Lucas? _Brooke raised a brow as she struggled to catch on, "Why would he try to blackmail you?"

"He is in debt with the wrong people and says it is my fault he is in that position," Lucas said with a small chuckle. It blew his mind that he was blaming him for his actions. He was a big boy and needed to be mature about it.

"Why would it be your fault?"

"The company went under and it was _my _company," he said softly.

"Lucas, it wasn't entirely your fault and you shouldn't give him a damn penny!" Brooke snapped.

_I guess it was true what they say about people changing, they never do._ Brooke couldn't believe that he was trying to blackmail Lucas into giving him money. She was angry that this was happening to him.

"Does he not realize that you are basically the only one keeping a roof over me and my baby's head?! I am so pissed off!"

That was the moment that Lucas felt something in him snap. The strong front that he had on was broken. Hearing Brooke say that about him, made him feel ten times worse about the whole situation. How was he going to be able to keep the roof over their head if Chris got away with this? He was not going to let Brooke be hurt anymore.

Brooke exhaled softly, tears filling in her eyes as she walked over to him, "Don't cry."

He buried his head in the crook of her neck, "What if he gets away with it?"

She pulled away to face him, "Get away with what?"

He just stared at her, "What if he takes all that I have away from me?"

"Don't be silly, Luke, there is no way that he could do that!"

Brooke looked into his puffy eyes and saw the worry behind them. This overwhelming feeling that there was something else going on washed over her. She took a deep breath as a tear escaped her eyes.

"I did something when I was younger that I am not proud of."

"Okay?"

"I should have never done it, but I was so angry as a teenager…"

She took a seat next to him and gently placed a hand on his arm, "We can get threw it together…"

Lucas took a deep breath, feeling a little more comfortable, "I started the fire at Dan's Dealership."

"What!"

He nodded, watching her body movement, "I was walking home and it was a bad day for me, so I burned it down."

Brooke was in shock. She didn't know what to say to him. When the dealership was burned down, Nathan and his family had to try to find another source of income. They were devastated that someone would do that to their business.

She remembered the hurt that was on their faces when they came back to the ashes. Brooke remembered talking to Nathan all night because he was just so upset and angry.

She sighed, anger building in her chest, "What would compel you to do such a thing?!"

He flinched, here it comes, "Dan is a fucking asshole, Brooke!"

"That doesn't give you the right to take away someone's place of business!"

"You don't get it!" Lucas snapped as he banged his hand on the table.

Brooke jumped, "Explain it to me."

He just looked at her for a moment, she was remaining relatively calm, "Dan was never there for me. He was rude to my mother—you know the story, Brooke."

"So, you go to see a therapist, Lucas. You don't burn a building down because you were angry…"

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck. He knew that she would never understand the pain and the emotions that went deeper. He knew that he was wrong, why did she think he left?

"I know, I know, I was wrong for what I did," he hissed.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "You should have manned up and told him the truth."

"Why?" Lucas questioned. "So, that I could be in juvenile and leave my poor mother to fight for herself?!"

"Fight for herself?"

"Dan used to be abusive to my mother," he revealed softly.

Flashbacks ran through his head and he could remember the look on her face. Dan never helped her and didn't want to help her. His mother was abused by her first love, and the father of her child.

The hair on Brooke's arms raised, "Lucas, I'm so sorry."

He shook his head, "I didn't get the father that Nathan had. I was robbed of a father and my mother was robbed of everything that she deserved."

He wiped away a tear from his eye as he finally got the courage to look at Brooke. She looked devastated, but no longer angry at him. Slowly, he reached his hand out to hers.

Brooke gave him a soft smile and took his hand, "I can understand why you did it, but it still doesn't make it right."

Lucas nodded, "I know."

They sat there for a moment as they each tried to collect themselves. Lucas couldn't help but think about the worst possible scenario, jail time and leaving Brooke behind. Brooke just wanted the whole situation to go away, hadn't they been through enough?

"We should get to Dan before Keller does," Brooke suggested.

Lucas took a deep breath, "Alright, let's go."

Brooke decided to drive. There was no way that Lucas could focus on the road and the last thing she needed was an accident. She turned to face him, he was looking out the window thinking. She tried to remain calm, but she couldn't help but hope that Dan would be reasonable.

She pulled up to the house and took a deep breath. She watched as Lucas unbuckled himself and walked up to the house. Brooke couldn't bring herself to move, all she could do was watch him make his way to the door.

Lucas knocked on the door. The door flew open and two men grabbed Lucas and threw him down on the ground.

"That's him!"

"Lucas!" Brooke screamed as she ran over to him.

The cops began to cuff him. Brooke tried to force them off, but it was no use. She felt so helpless trying to help him and figure out what was going on.

She looked up and saw Dan with Chris, "Help me, Dan!"

He shook his head and continued to watch, "This is what I call justice, sweetie."

Brooke felt like she had been slapped in the face. How could he have his own son arrested? She tried to get one last hug in but the police man threw out his arm to keep her away. She screamed.

"It's okay, babe," Lucas whispered as he was thrown into the back of the cop car.

"Lucas!" Brooke yelled as the veins popped out of her neck.

She collapsed on the floor and watched him drive off through teary eyes. Brooke felt her whole body shake. What was she going to do now?

**AN: hope you liked the chapter (minus the ending). :( Thanks for reading and reviewing. Until next time :)**


	22. He Came To Me In A Dream

"_I'm just confused, terribly confused."_

"_About what?" he asked as he placed a firm hand on her shoulder._

_A warm sensation washed over her body. Her eyes remained locked on his. It felt good to have him there to console her and take the weight off of her shoulders. _

"_There is so much that I wish you could help with…"_

"_You're pregnant," he said with a grin._

_She watched as he sat next to her on the leather couch, "We are going to have a baby, Nathan."_

"_That's wonderful, Brooke!"_

_Brooke giggled, "I can't wait to watch him play basketball—"_

"_Uncle Luke better sharpen his skills if he wants to teach the little man."_

_She let out a small laugh and placed a hand on his. She loved seeing his face light up when she told him that they would be having a little boy. The fact that he brought up Lucas name, made her feel that he was giving her his blessing. _

"_That's…that's the problem, Nathan," Brooke mumbled softly as a tear fell from her eye._

_He wrapped a comforting arm around her, "What do you mean, Brooke?"_

_She sighed, "Lucas was arrested for burning down your father's dealership…"_

_Nathan rubbed the back of his neck and tried to remain calm, "I always thought maybe he had something to do with it. He left soon after he did that. I can't believe that Dan would go and arrest him."_

"_Why is that so surprising? Your father treats him like a piece of shit, so there is nothing surprising about this," anger came out with every word she spoke. _

_He remained quiet, as if he was trying to formulate something to say in his head. Brooke studied him and wanted to know what he would say. _

"_Well, then he deserves to rot in there!" Nathan said as he stood up and knocked over the coffee table. _

_Brooke flinched, "He doesn't deserve any bit of that Nathan, I don't blame him for what he did!"_

"_Are you shitting me, Brooke!"_

"_Don't…don't yell at me," she whispered._

"_How can you think for one second that he doesn't deserve to finally man up and deal with the consequences for burning down my father's business?!"_

"_Do you even wonder why he did it?"_

_He shook his head, "I couldn't give a flying—"_

_Brooke tried to relax and get through to Nathan, but he was stubborn. She just wanted Nathan to hold her hand and help her through this. She didn't want him to just dismiss her feelings and leave her with no direction to turn._

"_How would you feel if you were Lucas?"_

"_Like I had to many second chances."_

"_I mean, what if you had to grow up like he did? How would you feel if Dan left your mother for Karen, and didn't ever try to be your father? You were born with a damn silver spoon in your mouth and you always had the love of both of your parents!"_

"_That's not fair…"_

"_I am not mad at you for the lifestyle that you have, Nate. I am just trying to offer you a glimpse of his feelings. Your father is your best friend; Lucas never had that relationship with Dan. Can't you see why he maybe did it?"_

"_Well, he could have always talked to Dan or I about it!" Nathan said as he shrugged. _

_Brooke knew that Nathan wasn't getting the whole picture, "He had to watch his father teach you basketball, a sport that he loves just as much, and never even acknowledge his scores."_

_Nathan just sat there and took it all in. Brooke knew that he was thinking about it seriously. She knew that he would be devastated if he didn't have his father in his corner, cheering him on and helping perfect his shooting skills. _

"_All I am trying to do, is to have you see that he made a mistake and no one deserves to be penalized for that. We all know that he was wrong in what he did, but he was just crying out for love from you and Dan…"_

_Nathan had tears in his eyes and nodded, "I can't imagine not having my dad as my best friend."_

_Brooke gave him a small smile, "So, maybe, you could think more of your half-brother?"_

_He nodded, "I wish I would have given him a chance."_

"_Well, he knows that deep down, you loved him," Brooke said as she kissed his forehead. "I need you to help me think of something to say to Dan, please. I already lost you and I can't lose him too."_

_He placed his hand on her cheek, wiping her tears away with his thumb, "I know that Dan wishes that he would have done things differently."_

"_How?"_

"_He watches how Lucas plays basketball, even if he won't admit it. I think he is just angry because he doesn't know what to do to make it all better."_

"_Locking up Lucas won't make things any better, you know."_

_He nodded, "Maybe, if you talk to him and tell him everything that this is his chance, you can get through to him."_

_Brooke smiled as she kissed his cheek, "I think that's it!"_

"_I love you, Brooklyn Penelope," he said as he kissed her._

"Love you too!"

"What?"

Brooke opened her eyes and looked around. She was in Nathan's old room. Her body was heaving and she had been crying. It took her a minute to realize that she must have been dreaming, because Nathan wasn't here.

She jumped as Deb placed a hand on her shoulder, her eyes were too watering. Deb bit her lip and sniffled. Brooke gave her a loving embrace. They both just let their emotions go.

"It was like he was here…"

Deb gently pulled her back so that she could face her, "What do you mean?"

"Nathan," Brooke said as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "he was in my dream. We were talking about things and it felt like he was here with me."

"I know what you mean. I was asleep the other day and I felt like he came to me in a dream. He told me that he loved me and needed me to stay strong," her voice cracked and she lost it.

Brooke gasped, "He was so happy to have a boy…it makes him think of him and Dan."

Deb smiled at her, "Really?"

She nodded, "He…he want's..."

The words couldn't come out of her mouth. It was too hard to talk about what Nathan had said to her. She was happy that Deb had a similar occurrence and she wasn't crazy. Nathan came to her in a dream to tell her that he was still there for her.

"What does he want?"

"He want's Lucas to help teach him basketball…"

Deb covered her mouth and tried to keep the tears back, but it was no use, "He said that?"

"He said 'Uncle Luke better sharpen up his skills if he wants to teach the little man."

She smiled as she placed an arm around Brooke, "I think he was giving you his blessing."

Brooke grinned, "Now, we just need Dan's."

**COMING UP: Brooke talks to Dan and tries to get Lucas free.**


	23. Listen

She took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. Her hands shook as she gently knocked on the door. This was going to be the defining moment that could save Lucas or hurt his chances of getting out even more. There was a small chance that Dan would come to his senses and listen to her, but she knew better than to get her hopes up.

The door opened and Dan poked his head out. He raised a brow as he realized it was Brooke standing there. She didn't move an inch. Her brain was telling her to move, but she couldn't. Dan sighed and gestured for her to come in as he opened the door.

"What can I do for you Brooke?" he said as he sat down at his desk.

She sat on the small wooden chair on the other side of his desk, "You know what I want to talk about, Dan."

He nodded, "I do, but I don't see why this has anything to do with you?"

"Dan-"

"You should know better than to bring a criminal into my grandchild's life!" he sassed.

Brooke exhaled sharply. Lucas was the farthest thing from a criminal. He may have committed a crime, but Dan was no saint either. She just watched as he flipped through a book on his desk. There had to be a heart somewhere in that body, even if it was deep down inside.

"You should know better than to put your son in jail and make him a criminal."

His mouth opened and he stared at her blankly, "He deserved it."

"He made a mistake how many years ago, Dan? He was crying out for a father and you completely disregard him!"

"You don't know what you are talking about!" he snapped as he slammed the book shut.

"I know a lot more than you think about this!" she hissed back. She wasn't going to sit there and let him run her out of the room. Someone needed to stand up for him and show him that he is being unreasonable.

"With all due respect, this is between my family and I."

"It's about time you act like Lucas' father!" she yelled.

She sat there in shock. Brook ran her fingers through her hair and tried to not look into his eyes. She felt like she was retaliating against a principal at a school meeting.

"What do you mean?"

"How do I put this," Brooke said softly, "You were never there for Lucas. I mean, does it really shock you to hear that you were a deadbeat dad?"

"I wasn't a deadbeat—"

"You might as well have been. Imagine growing up and seeing your dad with his new son and never having that relationship? What you had with Nathan, you robbed Lucas of that experience…"

Dan's eyes began to water and Brooke felt her heart stop. She had only seen him cry at the funeral for Nathan, but other than that, he was a stone.

She took a deep breath and continued, "I had a dream yesterday, but it was so much more than that. Nathan was talking to me and telling me things that I don't think you could imagine."

A sharp pain ran down her spine as the baby kicked her. She exhaled sharply as she rubbed her side. The baby had been active today and it was driving her nuts. There was too much to deal with and she just wanted everything to go back to normal.

"You okay?"

Brooke nodded and gave him a small smile, "Fine, thanks."

"Continue…"

"Well, Nathan was giving me his blessing to have Lucas act as his daddy," she said with a soft sigh. Her eyes met him and she could see another wave of tears flow over him. "He was telling me that Lucas should teach our son how to play basketball. He mentioned that it kills you that your relationship with Lucas has to be this way…."

Dan froze and scowled at her. He stood up and slammed his fist on the table. Brooke jumped at the sound. She took a deep breath as she saw the anger building in him. Dan walked over to the window and rubbed the back of his neck.

"How could you sit there and watched your son grow up playing the same sport that you love, but never play a game with him?"

"I think," he snapped, "that your dream was exactly that, a dream. You don't get to question my abilities as a father!"

"And you don't get to question Lucas'!"

"Get out!" he yelled. The veins on his neck were popping out.

A chill ran down her spine. Brooke picked up her purse and pushed in her chair. She walked towards the door without looking at Dan.

Her hand wrapped around the handle, "All Lucas ever wanted was a father, Dan. Maybe this is your chance to make everything right with the one son that you have that's alive."


	24. Resolution

"You're lying."

Brooke twirled her spoon in her coffee. She watched as the creamer slowly turned the coffee a light shade of brown. She rolled her head and felt sighed as her neck popped. If there was such a thing as teleportation, she wished more than anything that it was now.

"I wish I was."

Karen's eyes watered, "Is it wrong to think that deep down, I always knew?"

"Karen…"

"No, it's true. That day, I can remember the overpowering smell of smoke all over Lucas' clothes…" Karen trailed off as she tucked a strand behind her ear. "The next day, when I heard the news, I had this feeling deep in my gut that Lucas did it. I can't say that I wasn't a tiny bit happy, but I knew it was wrong. So, instead of punishing him and turning him in, I told him I loved him…"

"You did what any mother would," Brooke said as she placed a hand on Karen's shoulder.

Karen nodded as she refilled Brooke's cup, "I guess, I should have known that was part of the reason that he left, but I was scared that something had happened to him."

Brooke sighed, "Well, we just have to hope that I struck a nerve with Dan."

"I should be sitting right there next to him because I knew all along…"

She shook her head, "Karen, you can't be guilty about this, at all."

"I'm guilty about a lot of things…"

"Karen, people make mistakes," Brooke reminded as she drank the last of her coffee.

"Try having a baby with someone that won't even acknowledge their son as theirs. I know how Lucas felt when he watched his dad be one to someone else, but I feel ten times worse because I brought him into this world."

"Stop, Karen," Brooke snapped. "Lucas idolizes you more than you will ever know. You were his saving grace and he appreciated you. So what if Dan wasn't a part of Lucas' life?! That is going to eat away his conscience, not yours. You can say that Lucas was your world and you did all that you could!"

"She's right."

Brooke froze as she heard the voice come from behind her. She could hear his boots hit the wooden floor as he approached the counter. The fear was evident in Karen's eyes and Brooke braced herself for the worst. Dan took a seat next to Brooke.

"I never gave you credit for the work you did in making our son the man that he is…"

Karen just kept her eyes on his, "What do you want?"

"For once, I just want to give you the credit that you deserve…" he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I always wanted to be there for Lucas, but how do you walk into your child's life when you walked out once before?"

Dan reached over the counter and grabbed a coffee pot. Karen grabbed the creamer and placed it next to him. She watched as he filled his cup. Brooke couldn't believe that Dan was here and apologizing.

"I remember when Lucas and Nathan were in the same basketball camp. The coach told me that Nathan was going to be a pro at basketball, but Lucas was the total package. I just thought to myself, what am I doing? I was angry and I know that I took it out on you two, but I was so angry with myself…"

"I don't know what you are getting at, Dan," Karen said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Brooke was right," he said as he looked at her, "Nathan is no longer in this world…Lucas is all that I have left. I know that it might be too late, but it's not too late to try with my son."

"Does this mean?" Brooke said as her heart started to race.

He nodded. Sliding an envelope on the table, "I am going to go get him out of jail now; he should have never been in there."

"Thank you!" Karen called as he walked out of the café.

Brooke wrapped her arms around Karen and embraced her. She felt her shoulders dampen as the tears rolled off of Karen's cheeks. Slowly, she pulled away and smiled at Karen.

"We are gonna have Lucas back!"

Karen nodded as she opened the envelope that Dan gave her. Brooke cringed as the pain returned and flooded her body. She rubbed the side of her body.

"Karen…"

Karen opened the letter and covered her mouth quickly. There was a check for fifty thousand dollars and Dan wrote 'backed child support' as the reason.

"Karen…" Brooke said as she felt the pain worsen and her vision blur.

Behind the check, there was a picture of a newspaper clipping of Lucas with his basketball trophy when he was seven. Karen let out a small cry and held the picture close to her heart.

"Karen!" Brooke screamed as she fell to the floor.

"Brooke!" Karen yelled as she caught Brooke's head from hitting the floor. Brooke was screaming in pain. Karen grabbed her phone and dialed 911.

"I think…this baby…."

Karen placed her finger over Brooke's lips, "Shhh…everything is going to be okay.


	25. Full Circle

"Why didn't you come to the hospital sooner?!" the nurse scolded as she helped Brooke into the bed.

Brooke groaned as another sharp pain ran down her spine. The contractions were getting more painful by the second, but she was determined to keep this baby inside for as long as she could. Nathan was there watching over her in spirit and that made her feel a little better. However, she just needed Lucas to hold her hand and walk her through this.

"What are you talking about?" Karen asked the nurse.

The nurse grabbed a chart and started writing stuff down, "This baby is almost ready to come out! She should have been here a long time ago…"

Karen exhaled, placing a hand on Brooke's shoulder, "Why didn't you come to the hospital?"

"I need—" Brooke screamed in pain as she had another contraction.

"It's time," Brooke's midwife informed.

"No!" Brooke screamed as she tried to get out of the bed. "I can't do this without Lucas!"

"You're going to have to!" the nurse said as she struggled to get Brooke to settle down.

"You don't know what the hell I have been through!" Brooke screamed at her through a blur of tears. "My baby's father is dead and the one man that has been there for me is in jail!"

Karen gently pushed her back into the bed. She brushed the hair out of Brooke's face. Brooke felt her heart racing and she knew that she needed to push, but Lucas wasn't here. This was not going to happen to her again. She wasn't going to be cheated of having someone she loved there for her.

"It's not fair…" Brooke whispered as sniffled.

"I know you are scared," Karen said with teary eyes, "but you need to deliver this baby before you end up doing some damage to it."

Brooke let her head fall back onto the pillow. She concentrated on the celling as the nurses prepped her for delivery. She closed her eyes and tried to picture Nathan on one side of her.

"Come on, Nathan," she whispered.

"_Brooke, what are you doing, babe?" Nathan said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You need to push and get this baby out. Come on, let our son into the world!"_

"Push, Brooke!"

Brooke took a deep breath and pushed with everything she had. The sweat and tears rolled down her face, but she kept picturing Nathan next to her. She kept her eyes closed to shut out the image of the reality of it all.

"Good, I can see the head…"

"Oh, no!" Brooke yelped as more tears flooded her eyes.

"_The baby is almost out, Brooke. One more good push and we are going to have ourselves a little baby boy," Nathan cooed. _

A warm sensation came over her right hand. She opened her eyes and gasped.

"I'm here, babe," Lucas said as he kissed her forehead.

Brooke tried to smile but the pain was unbearable. She took one last deep breath and pushed with everything that she had. She screamed as she felt the baby coming out. The little baby began to scream and Brooke watched as they rushed to check on him.

She gave a sigh of relief as she heard his little cries for her. Lucas gave her another kiss on the forehead as he brushed her hair out of the way. The nurses brought the baby over and placed him in her arms. Brooke wrapped her arms around him and smiled.

"Little Nate looks just like his daddy," Brooke said as she looked into his eyes.

Little Nate was the spitting image of his father. Same eyes that made you fall in love and that goofy grin that will drive all the ladies wild. It was as if Nathan came back to life in the shape of his son.

"Hey, little Nate," Lucas said as he rubbed his cheeks.

A knock on the door interrupted the moment. Brooke sighed as she watched the door slowly open. Deb poked her head into the room and Brooke motioned for them to come in. Deb was in tears at the very sight of little Nate. Dan wrapped an arm around Deb as they both stared at their grandchild.

"Thank you," Brooke said as she reached out to hold Dan's hand.

Dan smiled as he took her hand in his, "Thank you for giving me the cutest grandchild."

Brooke smiled as she watched Deb and Dan hold the baby. She knew that this was an important moment for them as well. Not having their baby in this world had to be tough, but she hoped that they would heal with little Nate like she was going to.

Lucas walked over and hugged his dad. Brooke looked over at Karen and smiled. Karen's face lite up as she watched her son and his father reconnect. Brooke felt beyond blessed. Little Nate made everyone reconnect and forget about their problems. Maybe, Nathan's death was a blessing in disguise.

"What are you going to name him?" the nurse asked as she brought over the paperwork.

Brooke gushed as she watched Lucas hold the baby, "Nathan Lucas Scott."

Lucas froze, "What?"

"You heard me," Brooke said with a little giggle.

"I thought we were going with Michael?"

She shook her head, "No. No. No. You are a very important person in my life and you helped me through a lot. Regardless if we get married or break-up, or whatever, you are still everything to me."

Lucas kissed her as a tear rolled down his cheek. He handed Nathan to her gently. He pulled up a chair and sat next to her. He watched her for a moment with a grin on his face.

Lucas put his hand in his pocket, "You're everything to me too, Brooke. I didn't just help you recover from everything, you helped me too. I was lost and confused, but you gave me a chance to get back on my feet. You gave me a purpose to make something for myself."

He turned to face Dan and Deb, "You got my father and me to reconnect after all the pain that has been there since I was a little boy. You put my family back together and you don't know how much that means to me. You saved me from a life that I could have led."

He pulled out a box from his pocket and opened it, "So, Brooke, will you marry me?"

Brooke covered her mouth. She was completely in shock that he would ask her to marry him. Brooke smiled as she leaned in to kiss him. "Of course!"

Lucas kissed her as he slipped the ring on her finger. Dan, Deb, and Karen all clapped as they watched the newly engaged couple embrace.

"I can't wait to start our life with baby Nate," Brooke gushed.

**AN: Hope you enjoyed. The last chapter will be posted shortly! Hope you enjoyed**


	26. Fast Forward

_Whoever said that time heals all wounds, was an absolute idiot. Sure, I have those days where nothing is wrong, but I still grieve that you aren't here anymore. How can you heal when there are constant reminders of your presence? You still come to me, in my dreams and sometimes when something smells like you. Time moves on, but I still hurt as hard as I try not to. You would never want me to be sad, but I can't help it. _

_Little Nate is pretty much you reincarnated. Just holding him makes me feel closer to you than ever. I grieve so many times throughout the day that he is never going to know his father, just the stories of the legend you were. _

_Getting married was amazing, but it was also very sad for me. I was planning this whole wedding as if you were going to be at the altar. Of course, Lucas and I had a very long fight about it. Can you blame me for wishing you were there? You said that you were happy about us, that one day in a dream, but I still can't stop thinking about the life we could have had. It's wrong of me to think, but how can't I when everything I see is you. Yet, Lucas has been a blessing through all of this. He could never take your place, but it's nice to have someone that loves me and our little one. I love Lucas, with everything I have. We are happily married, but I feel bad because some days I can't help but think of you._

_The first time that baby Nate called Lucas dad, it made my heart hurt. Lucas told him that he was his stepdad and showed him your senior picture. He knows who you are now. I have the picture of us from prom printed on a blanket. There are pictures of you all over the house. You might be gone, but there is no way you'll ever be forgotten._

_I wish you were here to see Lucas and your dad attempt to teach our two year old basketball. We are going to make sure he gets on his daddy's level and becomes a basketball star. I know that was your dream, but I can see Nate following in yours. Once every week, your parents come over and have dinner with us. I think that they needed little Nathan as much as I did. I wish that everyone would have gotten along sooner, but it all worked itself out. _

_Lucas and I are expecting a baby next spring. We don't know the gender but we are so thrilled to give little Nathan a sibling. Can you imagine if it was a boy? It would almost be like you and Lucas all over again, step-brothers, but this time they will like each other. Haha. _

_I think the hardest part about you being in Heaven is that I can't tell you how much you are missed. _

_Love always,_

_Brooke Scott._

"What are you doing?"

Brooke jumped as Lucas came from behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She kissed his forehead and folded the letter so he couldn't read it.

"I was just writing a letter to Nathan. Next time I visit him, I want to read it to him," Brooke said with a huge grin.

"Momma!" little Nathan said as he walked over to her.

Brooke took him in her arms and gave him a tight squeeze. He was all sweaty from playing outside, but Brooke didn't mind the smell of sweat. She gently placed him on her lap, trying to avoid him sitting on her belly. She watched as he rubbed her stomach. She was glad that everything felt right with the world.

"What this?" little Nate asked as he grabbed the letter off the table.

"It's a letter for your daddy," Lucas said softly.

Little Nate looked at the letter for a moment and then he kissed it. Brooke let out a little tear. Her life was perfect even if Nathan wasn't here physically, he lived on through their son.

AN: Thanks for reading the story it means a lot to me! On my profile you will find the trailer for the story I am working on! :) Also, I have a NALEY story in the works!


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